Ennio Morricone Morricone In Love Soundtrack CD

This collection of Morricone themes from 1969-1977 (with just one of the tracks postdating 1973) focuses on the maestro's lighter, more romantic side. If you're going to contrast it with his other work of the era, generally it's more romantic than erotic, or more romantic than dramatic, though the Edda Dell'Orso-sung "Seena d'Amore" does have that singer's patented nearly orgasmic peeping vocals. That song, too, sounds something like a Bacharach/David-penned tune that got only as far as the backing track. It's not all as poppy as that, and usually the melodies and orchestration have a muted haunting feel. It does tend toward the daintier facets of his scores, and at times evokes images of the late-'60s/early-'70s jet set traipsing through Europe, removed from the cares of the everyday world if not from the valleys of romantic interplay. When vocals do enter the picture, it's often scatting wordless singing rather than proper songs, the soaring bossa nova male-female harmonies of "Belinda Mag" veering toward saccharine easy listening. The CD isn't as exciting as some of the other Morricone-themed compilations on the El label, but does serve as soothing if slightly sugary ambient music, as well as helping round out the picture of the prolific composer's work from the era. ~ Richie Unterberger

Here we see the genius of Ennio Morricone as evidenced by the collection of melodic, romantic themes that comprise 'Morricone In Love' Flooding his music with feeling, the maestro is time and again able to inspire from his musicians performances of extraordinary emotional intensity. Often a Morricone soundtrack will elevate an otherwise modest film to an unfathomable artistic status and `Love Sequence 1' from the obscure 'Crescete e Moltiplicatevi' is a case in point; a wonderfully sensuous composition that open's the album with the loveliest of vocals from the unique Edda Dell'Orso. El Records. 2005.