Italian music great Ennio
Morricone was hailed Monday after winning the best original
score Academy Award for his work for Quentin Tarantino's The
Hateful Eight at the 2016 Oscars.
Remarkably, it was the first 'competitive' Oscar for the
87-year-old, who created some of cinema's most memorable scores,
including those for The Untouchables, The Mission and Sergio
Leone's spaghetti westerns.
The composer won an honorary Academy Award for his career
in 2007 and had been nominated for an Oscar five times
previously.
Morricone dedicated the award to his wife Maria and paid
tribute to the other nominees.
"My thoughts go to the other nominees, especially (Star
Wars composer) John Williams," he said, visibly moved as he
received the award to a standing ovation at the Dolby Theater in
Los Angeles.
"There's no great soundtrack without a great inspiration
like Tarantino and his team, who I thank for having chosen me".
President Sergio Mattarella and Premier Matteo Renzi were
among the first to congratulate Morricone.
"Maestro Ennio Morricone's compositions have touched
entire generations all over the world and made them dream," said
Mattarella.
"The Oscar is well-deserved recognition that honours the
life of a great artists devoted to music. I give Maestro
Morricone my most deeply felt congratulations and thanks from
all of Italy".
Renzi paid tribute via his Twitter account, @matteorenzi.
"Great maestro, finally!" Renzi posted.
"#Morricone #pride #Oscars2016".
In his e-news, Renzi said it had been "exciting" to see
Morricone win his first competitive Oscar and that he should
have got one much sooner - especially for his "immortal"
soundtrack to Mission in 1986.
Among the many to take their hats off for Morricone were
the Franciscan friars from Assisi's Sacro Convento.
"Compliments to the maestro for the Oscar for his music
and its enchanting simplicity," said Father Enzo Fortunato, the
director of the Sacro Convento's press office.
"We still recall the emotions that he enabled us to
experience in Assisi when he conducted the Saint Francis
Basilica orchestra and called Francis of Assisi "the most
important Italian saint, deserving all our attention for his
modesty and sacrifice".
Born in Rome in 1928, Morricone has over 500 film and TV
soundtrack credits to his name.
He has also conducted orchestras and in June 2015 he
presented his Missa Papae Francisci, composed in honour of Pope
Francis.
His score for The Hateful Eight was the hot favourite for
the Oscar after triumphing at the British Film Academy's BAFTA
awards and at the Golden Globes.
Tarantino compared Morricone to Mozart, Beethoven and
Schubert after collecting the Golden Globe on his behalf.
It was a similar story to Morricone's for actor Leonardo
DiCaprio, who claimed won his first Oscar, for best actor, for
survival movie The Revenant after six nominations.
Brie Larson won the best actress award for Room, and
Spotlight won best picture Oscar, while Mad Max: Fury Road got
the most Oscars - six.
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