The studies with Goffredo Petrassi and the association with Gruppo di
Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza let the Avant-garde play an important
role in the career of Ennio Morricone, who wrote many contemporary
pieces for himself. However, the author later composed soundtracks where
dissonance played a major role. For the Italian edition of the film
SPACE: 1999 (1975), the cult British TV series, he composed a very
neurotic Jazz with muted horns. Also, for the science-fiction film THE
HUMANOID (1979), Ennio Morricone created hallucinating strings scores
mixed with electronic effects. For SACCO E VANZETTI (1971), an
electronic score by Walter Bianchi evokes all the drama of the
undeserved death sentence of the two protagonists. Experimental music of
great impact in the film and off the screen for famous thrillers such
as THE DEATH DEALER (1974), SHORT NIGHT OF GLASS DOLLS (1971).
Avant-garde music has always been present in Elio Petri’s films set to
music by Morricone, such as PROPERTY IS NO LONGER A THEFT (1973).
Avant-garde music in the noir cinema of VIOLENT CITY (1970) and A PURE
FORMALITY (1994) and in auteur films such as GARDEN OF DELIGHTS (1967)
and SARAH’S LAST MAN (1972).
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