I'm enthusiastic about Ennio Morricone's music, to my mind his film scores enhance their subjects without overwhelming them, and can stand alone in their own right as good music An example of this is "Gabriel's Oboe" if you follow this link to a youtube video you'll have the pleaseure of seeing and hearing Morricone conductiing Morricone. A little bit of clicking around on youtube will turn up all sorts of lovely intereprerations such as this one in which Yo-Yo Ma shows us what a good cellist can do with the piece or this one in which trumpetist Hee Chan Ahn does the same. Oboist Carlo Romano has performed it on repeatedly with Italy's RAI National Symphony Orchestra such as this on this occasion in the Church of St. Francis in Assisi. (Do click that last link even if it's only for the pleasure of catching a glimpse of Giotto's and Cimabue's frescoes.)
Sarah Brightman wrote repeatedly to Morricone asking him for permission to turn it into a song. He refused, so she pestered him with letter after letter asking permission to turn it into a song, until he relented. At which point "Nella Fantasia" ("In My Fantasy") got written and the result ain't half bad to coin a phrase.
All of the performances I've linked to above have something to recommend but this perfomance by the Petits Chanteurs À La Croix De Bois, with Baudoin Aube singing solo, knocks my socks off every time I listen to it, and I hope it'll do the same for you.
Lyrics below the fold, and, as always enjoy.
markfromireland
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