Piero Piccioni
Encyclopedia
Piero Piccioni was an Italian lawyer turned major film score composer. A pianist
, organist
, conductor
, composer
, he was also the prolific author of more than 200 film soundtracks
.
, Piedmont
. His mother's maiden name was Marengo, hence his pseudonym Piero Morgan, which he adopted until 1957.
When he was growing up, his father Attilio Piccioni (a prominent member of the Italian Christian Democratic Party
with the post-war Italian government), would frequently take him to hear concerts at the EIAR
Radio Studios in Florence
. Having listened to jazz
throughout his childhood (he dearly loved Art Tatum
and Charlie Parker
) and without attending studies at the Conservatoire Academy of Music, Piero Piccioni became an extremely talented self-taught musician.
in 1938, but only returned on air after the liberation of Italy in 1944. His 013 was the first Italian jazz band to be broadcast in Italy after the fall of fascism
.
He was deeply influenced in his use of jazz by 20th century classical composers and American
cinematography. Amongst his favourites were Frank Capra
, Alfred Hitchcock
, Billy Wilder
, John Ford
and Alex North
. He began writing songs of his own and was soon able to get some of his works published by Carisch editions.
Piero Piccioni came into contact with the movie world in Rome
during the fifties, when he was a practicing lawyer securing movie rights for Italian distributors such as Titanus and De Laurentiis. During that time, Michelangelo Antonioni
had called Piero to score a documentary film directed by Luigi Polidoro, one of his apprentices. Piccioni’s first score for a feature film was Gianni Franciolini
’s Il mondo le condanna (1952). He consequently changed his lawyer's "toga" for a conductor's baton
. He developed close-knit working relationships with directors Francesco Rosi and Alberto Sordi, and established strong personal and professional bonds with them.
Many directors sought Piero Piccioni to score the soundtracks for their films: Francesco Rosi
, Mario Monicelli
, Alberto Lattuada
, Luigi Comencini, Luchino Visconti
, Antonio Pietrangeli, Bernardo Bertolucci
, Roberto Rossellini
, Vittorio De Sica
, Tinto Brass
, Dino Risi, and others.
Also bearing his name are The Scientific Cardplayer
, Swept Away
, Tutto a posto niente in ordine by Lina Wertmuller, Il bell'Antonio
by Mauro Bolognini, The Tenth Victim by Elio Petri. He is credited with works for more than 300 soundtracks and compositions for films, radio, television, ballets and orchestra. Among his favorite vocalists were female soul singer Shawn Robinson and Edinburgh born Lydia MacDonald.
Award for the movie Swept Away (1975), Nastro d’argento Award for the movie Salvatore Giuliano
by Francesco Rosi (1963), Prix International Lumière 1991, Anna Magnani Award 1975 and Vittorio De Sica Award 1979.
His song "Traffic Boom" was featured as the song for the fictional Logjammin movie-within-a-movie in The Big Lebowski
.
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, organist
Organist
An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ. An organist may play solo organ works, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumental soloists...
, conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
, composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
, he was also the prolific author of more than 200 film soundtracks
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
.
Early life
Piero Piccioni was born in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Piedmont
Piedmont
Piedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
. His mother's maiden name was Marengo, hence his pseudonym Piero Morgan, which he adopted until 1957.
When he was growing up, his father Attilio Piccioni (a prominent member of the Italian Christian Democratic Party
Christian Democracy (Italy)
Christian Democracy was a Christian democratic party in Italy. It was founded in 1943 as the ideological successor of the historical Italian People's Party, which had the same symbol, a crossed shield ....
with the post-war Italian government), would frequently take him to hear concerts at the EIAR
Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche
The Ente Italiano per le Audizioni Radiofoniche was the only public service broadcaster in Italy and the only one allowed to do so.-History:...
Radio Studios in Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. Having listened to jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
throughout his childhood (he dearly loved Art Tatum
Art Tatum
Arthur "Art" Tatum, Jr. was an American jazz pianist and virtuoso who played with phenomenal facility despite being nearly blind.Tatum is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest jazz pianists of all time...
and Charlie Parker
Charlie Parker
Charles Parker, Jr. , famously called Bird or Yardbird, was an American jazz saxophonist and composer....
) and without attending studies at the Conservatoire Academy of Music, Piero Piccioni became an extremely talented self-taught musician.
Career
Piccioni made his radio debut at 17 with his 013 Big BandBig band
A big band is a type of musical ensemble associated with jazz and the Swing Era typically consisting of rhythm, brass, and woodwind instruments totaling approximately twelve to twenty-five musicians...
in 1938, but only returned on air after the liberation of Italy in 1944. His 013 was the first Italian jazz band to be broadcast in Italy after the fall of fascism
Fascism
Fascism is a radical authoritarian nationalist political ideology. Fascists seek to rejuvenate their nation based on commitment to the national community as an organic entity, in which individuals are bound together in national identity by suprapersonal connections of ancestry, culture, and blood...
.
He was deeply influenced in his use of jazz by 20th century classical composers and American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
cinematography. Amongst his favourites were Frank Capra
Frank Capra
Frank Russell Capra was a Sicilian-born American film director. He emigrated to the U.S. when he was six, and eventually became a creative force behind major award-winning films during the 1930s and 1940s...
, Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
, Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder
Billy Wilder was an Austro-Hungarian born American filmmaker, screenwriter, producer, artist, and journalist, whose career spanned more than 50 years and 60 films. He is regarded as one of the most brilliant and versatile filmmakers of Hollywood's golden age...
, John Ford
John Ford
John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...
and Alex North
Alex North
Alex North was an American composer who wrote the first jazz-based film score and one of the first modernist scores written in Hollywood ....
. He began writing songs of his own and was soon able to get some of his works published by Carisch editions.
Piero Piccioni came into contact with the movie world in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
during the fifties, when he was a practicing lawyer securing movie rights for Italian distributors such as Titanus and De Laurentiis. During that time, Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni
Michelangelo Antonioni, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian modernist film director, screenwriter, editor and short story writer.- Personal life :...
had called Piero to score a documentary film directed by Luigi Polidoro, one of his apprentices. Piccioni’s first score for a feature film was Gianni Franciolini
Gianni Franciolini
Gianni Franciolini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. He directed 19 films between 1939 and 1959.-Filmography:* Ferdinando I...
’s Il mondo le condanna (1952). He consequently changed his lawyer's "toga" for a conductor's baton
Baton (conducting)
A baton is a stick that is used by conductors primarily to exaggerate and enhance the manual and bodily movements associated with directing an ensemble of musicians. They are generally made of a light wood, fiberglass or carbon fiber which is tapered to a grip shaped like a pear, drop, cylinder...
. He developed close-knit working relationships with directors Francesco Rosi and Alberto Sordi, and established strong personal and professional bonds with them.
Many directors sought Piero Piccioni to score the soundtracks for their films: Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi
Francesco Rosi is an Italian film director. He is the father of actress Carolina Rosi.-Biography:After studying Law, but hoping to study film, Rosi entered the industry as an assistant to Luchino Visconti on La Terra trema...
, Mario Monicelli
Mario Monicelli
Mario Monicelli was an Italian director and screenwriter and one of the masters of the Commedia all'Italiana , three times nominated for Oscar.-Biography:...
, Alberto Lattuada
Alberto Lattuada
Alberto Lattuada was an Italian film director.Lattuada was born in Milan, the son of composer Felice Lattuada...
, Luigi Comencini, Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti
Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo was an Italian theatre, opera and cinema director, as well as a screenwriter. He is best known for his films The Leopard and Death in Venice .-Life:...
, Antonio Pietrangeli, Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci
Bernardo Bertolucci is an Italian film director and screenwriter, whose films include The Conformist, Last Tango in Paris, 1900, The Last Emperor and The Dreamers...
, Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini
Roberto Rossellini was an Italian film director and screenwriter. Rossellini was one of the directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing films such as Roma città aperta to the movement.-Early life:Born in Rome, Roberto Rossellini lived on the Via Ludovisi, where Benito Mussolini had...
, Vittorio De Sica
Vittorio de Sica
Vittorio De Sica was an Italian director and actor, a leading figure in the neorealist movement....
, Tinto Brass
Tinto Brass
Giovanni Brass , better known as Tinto Brass, is an Italian filmmaker. He is noted especially for his work in the erotic genre, with films such as Così fan tutte , Paprika, Monella and Trasgredire...
, Dino Risi, and others.
Also bearing his name are The Scientific Cardplayer
The Scientific Cardplayer
The Scientific Cardplayer is the English language title of a 1972 Italian drama film directed by Luigi Comencini. The screenplay was written by Rodolfo Sonego.-Synopsis:...
, Swept Away
Swept Away by an Unusual Destiny in the Blue Sea of August
Swept Away is a 1974 Italian film written and directed by Lina Wertmüller...
, Tutto a posto niente in ordine by Lina Wertmuller, Il bell'Antonio
Il bell'Antonio
Il bell'Antonio is a 1960 Italian and French drama film directed by Mauro Bolognini. The film is a based on a novel by Vitaliano Brancati and adapted for the screen by Pier Paolo Pasolini. It stars Marcello Mastroianni and Claudia Cardinale.-Plot summary:...
by Mauro Bolognini, The Tenth Victim by Elio Petri. He is credited with works for more than 300 soundtracks and compositions for films, radio, television, ballets and orchestra. Among his favorite vocalists were female soul singer Shawn Robinson and Edinburgh born Lydia MacDonald.
Awards and legacy
Piccioni won many prestigious prizes including the David di DonatelloDavid di Donatello
David di Donatello, named after Donatello's David, is a movie award assigned each year for cinematic performances and production by Ente David di Donatello, part of Accademia del Cinema Italiano. It is the Italian equivalent to the Academy Award. There are 24 categories as of 2006.- History :The...
Award for the movie Swept Away (1975), Nastro d’argento Award for the movie Salvatore Giuliano
Salvatore Giuliano
Salvatore Giuliano was a Sicilian peasant. It has been suggested that the subjugated social status of his class led him to become a bandit and separatist. He was mythologised during his life and after his death...
by Francesco Rosi (1963), Prix International Lumière 1991, Anna Magnani Award 1975 and Vittorio De Sica Award 1979.
His song "Traffic Boom" was featured as the song for the fictional Logjammin movie-within-a-movie in The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski
The Big Lebowski is a 1998 comedy film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Jeff Bridges stars as Jeff Lebowski, an unemployed Los Angeles slacker and avid bowler, who is referred to as "The Dude". After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire also named...
.
External links
- official website
- The Montesi Affair, Time Magazine (March 22, 1954)
- Karen Pinkus, The Montesi Scandal: The Death of Wilma Montesi and the Birth of the Paparazzi in Fellini's Rome ISBN 0226668487