This week I’ve had Ennio Morricone’s pieces “The Falls” and “Gabriel’s Oboe” from the film, The Mission, performed by Yo Yo Ma, #OnRepeat. I know I usually write about vocalists for the #OnRepeat posts, but once in awhile, instrumental pieces come along that are just so good that I have to let everybody know about it.
Ennio Morricone is a composer, conductor, arranger, and trumpet player from Rome, Italy. He has composed music for several films including The Untouchables, The Thing, Mission to Mars, The Holiday, and most recently, The Hateful Eight. He has won multiple Grammy Awards, Golden Globes, and countless other awards for his film score work.
Yo Yo Ma is a world-renowned cellist that gained fame as both a soloist and orchestral performer. He has won multiple Grammy Awards and plays in many different styles, collaborating with artists such as Celine Dion, Bobby McFerrin, and even the Dixie Chicks, and even several contemporary dancers.
Yo Yo Ma’s recordings of “The Falls” and “Gabriel’s Oboe” are from his collaborative album with Ennio Morricone, which features many of Morricone’s most loved and well-known compositions. These two pieces in particular are from the 1986 movie, The Mission, which tells the story of a Spanish Jesuit missionary who travels to the rainforests of Argentina and Paraguay to build a mission and convert a Guaraní village to the religion of Christianity. It is a great movie displaying themes of redemption and faith. These themes are conveyed strongly in this piece and in Yo Yo Ma’s playing. I encourage everyone to watch the movie and listen to Morricone’s pieces below:
Is there a new composer or performer that you can’t stop listening to? Leave a comment below!