Beloved hits and a world premiere by Ennio Morricone

Italian composer pays tribute to Greece in new work

ELIAS MAGLINIS

Running the gamut from Sergio Leone’s “spaghetti westerns,” to the more recent films “The Mission” and “Lolita,” as well as so much more great music, Ennio Morricone has always managed to move us.

This great and genuine composer is currently in Greece for two concerts at the Herod Atticus Theater, the first of which took place yesterday and the second is scheduled for tonight. Leading the Roma Sinfonietta Orchestra, the ERT Greek Radio & TV Choir as well as the City of Athens Choir, Morricone will present works that we have come to love through the big screen but will also introduce the world premiere of a work that is related to Greece.

The composer was inspired to write “Sicilio e altri frammenti” three years ago, during a visit to Greece. At a recent press conference in Athens, Morricone, polite and elegant, spoke about this particular work. “When I was here three years ago, Greek journalists asked me what I knew about Greek music and I felt bad. The truth is that I am familiar with Mikis Theodorakis’s wonderful music but, other than that, I don’t know much. What I do know well is ancient Greek music. It fascinates me and has defined my work as a composer.”

The composition is based on the “Seikilos Epitaph,” the oldest surviving complete musical piece ever recorded, found in Asia Minor’s ancient city of Tralleis (what is now Aydin in Turkey).

“With this work, I pay tribute to Athens and Greece,” he said. “The concert program will be rich; it will last about two hours and you will listen to a lot of film music.”