Morricone and Czech National Symphony Orchestra work together on new CD

The famous Italian composer Ennio Morricone – the author of more than 400 film scores including classics like Once Upon a Time in the West – was in the Czech Republic this week to cooperate on a new CD. He spent a day in the studio with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra recording some of his most famous work.

Ennio Morricone is nothing less than a legend in cinema – the author of countless famous scores, from The Untouchables to The Mission to The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Earlier this week the composer arrived in Prague to work with the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, recording for a day at its studios. The orchestra’s founder and director Jan Hasenohrl told me more:

“We’ve been working with an Italian agency for six years on film music and they contacted us regarding Mr Morricone’s project. We had also collaborated with his son in the past: two years ago at the Prague Proms. Of course working with the composer was an honour. The focus was a compilation CD including both film scores as well as symphonic music and the experience was wonderful.”

Mr Morricone, now 81, remains a giant in the film business. Here in the Czech Republic, he remains equally well-known, especially for his work on Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns. Once Upon a Time in the West has a cult following but is also loved because one of the compositions from that movie was also recorded in Czech by the great Věra Špinarová. Jan Hasenohrl again:

“Morricone’s fame in the Czech Republic surprised even me: the reaction alone over the last three days has been amaying. My personal favourite is the score for The Mission, but of course the westerns are also great.”

Ennio Morricone’s latest recording should be completed within two months. Orchestra director Jan Hasenohrl also told Radio Prague further collaboration with the composer was also planned, saying he hoped to invite him back for a performance like the Prague Proms. This year that festival featured an evening dedicated, for example, to James Bond themes, conducted by another famous film score writer, Carl Davis.