Until 2015, Ennio Morricone had not composed for a Western film since the 1981 film Buddy Goes West. He continued to score many other films and television shows, but attempted to broaden his horizons as a composer and shied away from the Western genre. For Quentin Tarantino’s film The Hateful Eight (2015), however, Morricone was coerced out of “Western retirement” for an original score. The song included below is characteristic of early, highly orchestrated Westerns, but contains dark elements with its strings and use of minor keys. For these reasons, the score is also reminiscent of film music for the horror genre. Of the striking differences between his score for Fistful and Hateful Eight, Morricone remarked: “The music I wrote for Leone is almost 50 years old – this is totally different…I always try to give each director his own specific musical location, if you will.” (Levine, 2016).

Many modern works feature tributes to Morricone’s iconic scores. Below is a song from Wes Anderson’s 2009 film, Fantastic Mr. Fox. This song, accompanying a fight scene choreographed almost like a Western shoot-out, was composed by Alexandre Desplat. The whistling is clearly reminiscent of Morricone’s score for A Fistful of Dollars, and is an homage to Spaghetti Westerns.

Another important aspect of Morricone’s legacy is his influence on today’s musicians. Such is the case with artists Danger Mouse and Danielle Luppi. These musicians, collaborating on an album, shared their inspiration from Morricone’s work for A Fistful of Dollars. Luppi clung to Morricone’s use of the guitar, and even tracked down some of his former musicians to work on her newest album (released in 2012). Collaborating on their album, Luppi and Danger Mouse recorded at Forum Studios in Rome, where Ennio Morricone recorded for the films of Sergio Leone. It is clear that Morricone’s work has meant a great deal to many musicians, and has influenced the use of his signature guitar. (Jackson, 2011).

Danger Mouse & Danielle Luppi’s 2012 album, Rome, inspired in part by Ennio Morricone.

Videos Courtesy of:

TheHatefulEightVEVO, youtube

UGGO87, youtube