artist: Ennio Morricone country of origin: Italy style(s): Soundtrack, jazz, pop, blues, classical, ambient, orchestral essential releases: The Mission [soundtrack] (1986, Virgin) Film Music volume 1 (1987, Virgin) Film Music volume 2 (1987, Virgin) The Ennio Morricone Anthology (1995, Rhino)

So prolific and conspicuous is Ennio Morricone's discography that it deserves an entire encyclopedia on it's own. For now, here's four essential albums to get you acquainted with one of the acknowledged masters of contemporary film music who has scored literally hundreds of films over his lengthy career.

The Italian-born Morricone has been composing soundtracks for movies in Europe, the USA and UK since the 1960’s and his output is so large that even Rhino's painstakingly complied 2-CD set The Ennio Morricone Anthology doesn't demonstrate his full creative range. Still, this and the two compilations from Virgin Records are as close as you'll get to an accurate overview of his legacy and they certainly showcase his striking versatility.

His music evokes everything from heartfelt nostalgia (“Deborah’s Theme”) to the haunting desolation of Sergio Leone’s mythical West (“The Good, The Bad and The Ugly”) and takes in elements of folk, pop, jazz and world music. Though Morricone uses a large array of individual instruments, he seems to be a classical composer at heart and orchestrations appear regularly throughout his work. At least one of his original soundtrack albums that should be heard in its entirety is The Mission with its lush, breathtaking choral and orchestral arrangements combined with elements of South American music courtesy of the group Incantation.

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