RIP. There’s no such thing as too many Morricone discs. These are what I’d call a good start.
• Someone had to do it: Alexis Petridis dares to compile a list of 10 great Ennio Morricone compositions.
• At The Quietus: 13 artists and writers on their favourite Morricone compositions.
Impossible to pick a favourite from such a versatile and prolific artist, but the composition that best epitomizes the sweeping, soaring operatic sound that we associate with Morricone for me is Come Maddalena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXPrlwAiG40
I’ve spent the day playing all those discs so Come Maddelena has received an airing. I was also wondering what I’d choose as a favourite. Probably the Once Upon a Time in the West soundtrack: it’s my favourite Leone film, and the score runs through all Morricone’s moods, from soaring beauty to the harshest dissonance.