­Morricone magic in Moscow

Composers seldom score as much fame as movie stars or directors, yet every rule has its exceptions. One man has proved to the world that it is the music that makes a film complete. Save a fistful of dollars to attend his show.

Legendary Italian composer Ennio Morricone, the creator of scores for Sergio Leone’s films including A Fistful of Dollars, Once Upon a Time in America and Kill Bill, hits the Kremlin stage on Sunday. Morricone will perform his golden greats together with the local Orfei radio symphony orchestra and the Moscow Synodal Choir.

The maestro has been at great pains to ensure the musicians deliver a perfect performance. The Oscar-winning Italian arrived in Moscow on Wednesday and, according to the organizers, has been rehearsing every day from 10am to 6pm. Word has it that the musicians barely had time to leave the hall for coffee breaks.

This is Morricone’s fifth appearance in Russia, and his third at the Kremlin. His first visit here coincided with the 27 edition of the Moscow International Film Festival, leaving the film marathon’s jury unable to pass up the chance to reward the legendary composer for his contribution to cinema.   

The list of star directors Morricone has worked with in the course of his brilliant career is more than impressive: Sergio Leone, Bernardo Bertolucci, Franco Zefirelli, Brian de Palma, Pedro Almodovar, Roman Polanski, and many others. The list of actors is several times longer. This exceptionally prolific composer has penned the scores for over 450 movies, from early westerns starring a young Clint Eastwood to horror, comedies and dramas.

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