KUWAIT CITY, Oct 11: The Embassy of Italy in Kuwait in collaboration with the National Council for Culture, Arts, and Letters presented a concert by Il Quintetto at the Abdulredha AbdulHussein theater in Salmiya comprising music of one of the greatest composers of the 20th century, Ennio Morricone.

Rightly termed ‘Oscar music: a tribute to Ennio Morricone’ he is considered one of the world’s greatest film composers, whose artistic career includes a wide range of composition genres, from absolute concert music to applied music.

Morricone embarked on an extraordinary musical journey, guided by the deft hands and creative genius of a true virtuoso in the realm of music. He was a luminary, a distinguished conductor, orchestrator, and composer of our era, whose artistry has graced the world's most prestigious stages and captivated the hearts of countless music enthusiasts.

The invited audience of dignitaries was enchanted as they delved into a realm where each note told a story, where melodies and harmonies weaved tales of emotion and passion unfurl the realm of pure musical magic.

Speaking on the occasion, the Italian Ambassador to Kuwait HE Carlo Baldocci said, it is an honor to “present to you an evening of musical brilliance of the incomparable maestro of our time.”

The Italian envoy said he is happy to announce the opening of the 2023-24 music season in Kuwait. He disclosed he is proud to bring the ‘Group of Five’ (Il Quintetto) to Kuwait, which has recently performed in the region, specifically in Bahrain and the Sultanate of Oman to pay tribute to the most important director and composer of the last decade.

Saying, “This is a very important sign of friendship and collaboration between the State of Kuwait and Italy,” the Italian Ambassador thanked the National Council for Arts and Letters for helping organize the event. The envoy also thanked Francesca Campagna the project consultant.

During his long career, the Maestro received several awards, including the Golden Lion and the honorary Oscar, eight Nastri D’argento, five BAFTAs, fice Oscar nominations, seven, David Di Donatellos, three Golden Globes one Grammy award and one European Film Award.

In its 20-tyear career, the ensemble had the privilege of working several times with The Maestro. Il Quintetto performed some of the most famous Italian Westerner's songs for films including Once Upon A Time in the West, A Fistful of Dollars, The Good the Bad and the Ugly, the magical atmosphere of Mission, and the more modern aura of Cinema Paradiso.

Il Quintetto comprised of Norberto Gonsalves Da Cruz, mandolin; Michele Mucci, mandolin; Valdimiro Buzi, mandola, Andrea Pace, guitar and Emiliano Piccolini, double bass.

The program included music by Ennio Morricone – Cinema Paradiso (1988), Mission (1986), Love Circle (1969), Once Upon a Time in the West (1968), Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970), Once Upon a Time in America (1984), The Legend of 1990 (1998), A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965) and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966).

By Paul Francis X. Fernandes

Al Seyassah/Arab Times Staff