Mario Nascimbene (28 November 1913 – 6 January 2002) was one of the best known Italian film

soundtrack A soundtrack is recorded music accompanying and synchronised to the images of a motion picture, drama, book, television program, radio program, or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack o ...

composer A composer is a person who writes music. The term is especially used to indicate composers of Western classical music, or those who are composers by occupation. Many composers are, or were, also skilled performers of music. Etymology and Defi ...

s of the 20th century. His career spanned six decades, during which time he earned several awards for the innovative contents of his composing style. During his career he composed soundtracks for more than 150 films.Mario Nascimbene discography
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Biography

Nascimbene studied composition and orchestral conducting at the "Giuseppe Verdi" Conservatory of Music in Milan under the guidance of

Ildebrando Pizzetti Ildebrando Pizzetti (20 September 1880 – 13 February 1968) was an Italian composer of classical music, Musicology, musicologist, and Music criticism, music critic. Biography Pizzetti was born in Parma in 1880. He was part of the "Generation ...

, Following graduation he wrote several pieces for

chamber music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music that is performed by a small numb ...

and

ballet Ballet () is a type of performance dance that originated during the Italian Renaissance in the fifteenth century and later developed into a concert dance form in France and Russia. It has since become a widespread and highly technical form of ...

. He was commissioned to write the soundtrack for the film ''"L'amore canta" (Love Song)'', directed in 1941 by

Ferdinando Maria Poggioli Ferdinando Maria Poggioli (15 December 1897 – 2 February 1945) was an Italian screenwriter, film editor and director. He directed fifteen films including the 1940 melodrama '' Goodbye Youth''.Gundle p.56 He had previously worked as assistant ...

, and the success of this film opened the doors of an entirely new career for him. He was one of the few composers in Italy whose career was based on his work in the cinema. He was particularly appreciated for the revolutionary innovation of incorporating the sounds of non-orchestral instruments like that of a jaw harp or a

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

, everyday noises (like the tick-tock of a clock, the ring of a bicycle bell or the ticking sound of typewriters in Rome 11:00) in a musical score, with the purpose to underline some particular film scenes. After World War II he developed an artistical partnership with such famous Italian film directors as

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and

Roberto Rossellini Roberto Gastone Zeffiro Rossellini (8 May 1906 – 3 June 1977) was an Italian film director, producer, and screenwriter. He was one of the most prominent directors of the Italian neorealist cinema, contributing to the movement with films such ...

. His work found acclaim in the United States, where he was invited to Hollywood to compose the score for famous films, including ''

The Barefoot Contessa ''The Barefoot Contessa'' is a 1954 American drama film written and directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz about the life and loves of fictional Spanish sex symbol Maria Vargas. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Ava Gardner, and Edmond O'Brien. The film's slo ...

'' directed by

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in 1954, ''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, wikt:Ἀλέξανδρος, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the Ancient Greece, ancient Greek kingdom of Maced ...

'' directed by

Robert Rossen Robert Rossen (March 16, 1908 – February 18, 1966) was an American screenwriter, film director, and producer whose film career spanned almost three decades. His 1949 film '' All the King's Men'' won Oscars for Best Picture, Best Actor and Be ...

in 1956, '' The Vikings'' directed by

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in 1958, and ''

Solomon and Sheba ''Solomon and Sheba'' is a 1959 American epic historical romance film directed by King Vidor, shot in Technirama (color by Technicolor), and distributed by United Artists. The film dramatizes events described in The Bible—the tenth chapter of ...

'' directed by

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in 1959. These scores were conducted by

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, the great conductor and lecturer on conducting at many academies of music around the world.

Awards

During his career, Mario Nascimbene won three Nastro d'Argento for Best Score awards in 1952 for Rome 11:00, in 1960 for

Violent Summer ''Estate violenta'' (U.S. title: ''Violent Summer'') is a 1961 Italian award-winning black-and-white drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini, depicting a love affair between a prominent Fascist's young draft-dodging son, portrayed by Jean-Louis T ...

, and 1968 for Pronto... c'è una certa Giuliana per te. He was also nominated for a

David di Donatello Award The David di Donatello Awards, named after Donatello's ''David'', a symbolic statue of the Italian Renaissance, are film awards given out each year by the '' Accademia del Cinema Italiano'' (The Academy of Italian Cinema). There are 26 award ca ...

in 1990 for his work on Blue dolphin - l'avventura continua. Although he did not win the prize that year, Nascimbene was awarded a "Career David" from the David di Donatello Awards in

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Phil ...

honouring his lifetime achievements in film music.

Selected film scores

* '' Redemption'' (1943) * '' Captain Demonio'' (1950) * '' Operation Mitra'' (1951) * '' It's Love That's Ruining Me'' (1951) * ''

Vacation with a Gangster ''Vacation with a Gangster'' (Italian: ''Vacanze col gangster'') is a 1951 Italian comedy film directed by Dino Risi and starring Marc Lawrence, Giovanna Pala and Terence Hill. The film's art direction was by Flavio Mogherini. Plot A man sente ...

'' (1951) *'' Rome 11:00'' (1952) * ''

The Adventures of Mandrin ''The Adventures of Mandrin'' (Italian: ''Le Avventure di Mandrin'') is a 1952 French-Italian historical film, historical adventure film directed by Mario Soldati and starring Raf Vallone, Silvana Pampanini and Jacques Castelot. It was released un ...

'' (1952) * ''

The Dream of Zorro ''The Dream of Zorro'' (Italian: ''Il Sogno di Zorro'') is a 1952 Italian comedy adventure film directed by Mario Soldati and starring Walter Chiari, Delia Scala and Vittorio Gassman. The future star Sophia Loren had a minor role in the film. ...

'' (1952) * '' Too Young for Love'' (1953) *'' Love in the City'' (1953) *''

'' (1954) * '' Tragic Ballad'' (1954) *''

New Moon In astronomy, the new moon is the first lunar phase, when the Moon and Sun have the same ecliptic longitude. At this phase, the lunar disk is not visible to the naked eye, except when it is silhouetted against the Sun during a solar eclipse. ...

'' (1955) *''

'' (1956) *'' A Farewell to Arms'' (1957) *''

The Quiet American ''The Quiet American'' is a 1955 novel by English author Graham Greene. Narrated in the first person by journalist Thomas Fowler, the novel depicts the breakdown of French colonialism in Vietnam and early American involvement in the Vietnam W ...

'' (1958) *'' The Vikings'' (1958) *'' Room at the Top'' (1959) *''

Subway in the Sky ''Subway in the Sky'' is a 1959 British crime film directed by Muriel Box and starring Van Johnson, Hildegard Knef and Albert Lieven. Hildegard Knef, who changed career in the 1960s to become a cabaret singer and songwriter, sings one song in t ...

'' (1959) *''

Scent of Mystery ''Scent of Mystery'' is a 1960 mystery film, the first to use the Smell-O-Vision system to release odors at points in the film's plot. It was the first film in which aromas were integral to the story, providing important details to the audienc ...

'' (1960) *''

Carthage in Flames ''Carthage in Flames'' ( it, Cartagine in fiamme) is a 1960 Italian historical drama film directed by Carmine Gallone and starring Pierre Brasseur, José Suárez, Daniel Gélin and Anne Heywood. It was shot at the Cinecittà Studios in Rome. The ...

'' (1960) *''

Sons and Lovers ''Sons and Lovers'' is a 1913 novel by the English writer D. H. Lawrence. It traces emotional conflicts through the protagonist, Paul Morel, and his suffocating relationships with a demanding mother and two very different lovers, which exert c ...

'' (1960) *'' Constantine and the Cross'' (1961) *'' The Bacchantes'' (1961) *'' Romanoff and Juliet'' (1961) *''

Francis of Assisi Giovanni di Pietro di Bernardone, better known as Saint Francis of Assisi ( it, Francesco d'Assisi; – 3 October 1226), was a mystic Italian Catholic friar, founder of the Franciscans, and one of the most venerated figures in Christianit ...

'' (1961) *''

The Story of Joseph and His Brethren ''The Story of Joseph and His Brethren'' (Italian: ''Giuseppe venduto dai fratelli'') is a 1961 Yugoslavian/Italian film directed by Irving Rapper and Luciano Ricci. The film is also known as ''Joseph Sold by His Brothers'', ''Joseph and His Bre ...

'' (1961) *'' The Happy Thieves'' (1961) *''

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'' (1961) *''

Barabbas Barabbas (; ) was, according to the New Testament, a prisoner who was chosen over Jesus by the crowd in Jerusalem to be pardoned and released by Roman governor Pontius Pilate at the Passover feast. Biblical account According to all four canoni ...

'' (1961) *'' Jessica'' (1962) * '' The Changing of the Guard'' (1962) *'' Light in the Piazza'' (1962) *''

Disorder Disorder may refer to randomness, non-order, or no intelligible pattern. Disorder may also refer to: Healthcare * Disorder (medicine), a functional abnormality or disturbance * Mental disorder or psychological disorder, a psychological pattern a ...

'' (1962) *''

Charge of the Black Lancers ''Charge of the Black Lancers'' ( it, I lancieri neri) is a 1962 adventure film directed by Giacomo Gentilomo and starring Mel Ferrer, Yvonne Furneaux and Leticia Román. Cast * Mel Ferrer as Andrea * Yvonne Furneaux as Jassa * Leticia Ro ...

'' (1962) * ''

Axel Munthe, The Doctor of San Michele ''Axel Munthe, The Doctor of San Michele'' (german: Axel Munthe – Der Arzt von San Michele) is a 1962 biographical drama film directed by Giorgio Capitani, Rudolf Jugert and Georg Marischka. It stars O.W. Fischer in the title role along with Ro ...

'' (1962) *'' The Golden Arrow'' (1962) *''

Swordsman of Siena ''Swordsman of Siena'' ( it, La congiura dei dieci; French: ''Le Mercenaire'') is a 1962 French-Italian adventure film directed by Étienne Périer and Baccio Bandini and starring Stewart Granger, Sylva Koscina and Christine Kaufmann. The film i ...

'' (1962) *''

The Verona Trial ''Il processo di Verona'' (internationally released as ''The Verona Trial'') is a 1963 Italian historical drama film directed by Carlo Lizzani. The film tells of the final phases of the Italian fascist regime, in particular the affair of the 1944 ...

'' (1963) *'' The Camp Followers'' (1965) * ''

Where the Spies Are ''Where the Spies Are'' is a 1966 British comedy adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring David Niven, Françoise Dorléac, John Le Mesurier, Cyril Cusack and Richard Marner. It was based on the 1964 James Leasor book '' Passport to Obl ...

'' (1965) *''

One Million Years B.C. ''One Million Years B.C.'' is a 1966 British adventure fantasy film directed by Don Chaffey. The film was produced by Hammer Film Productions and Seven Arts, and is a remake of the 1940 American fantasy film ''One Million B.C.''. The film star ...

'' (1966) *''

Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die ''Kiss the Girls and Make Them Die'' (Italian: ''Se tutte le donne del mondo... (Operazione Paradiso)'') is a James Bond spoof film released in 1966 as an Italian-American co-production between Dino De Laurentiis' Cinematografica and Columbia Pic ...

'' (1966) *'' Doctor Faustus'' (1967) * ''

The Vengeance of She ''The Vengeance of She'' is a 1968 British fantasy film directed by Cliff Owen and starring John Richardson (actor), John Richardson, Olga Schoberová, Olinka Berova, Edward Judd, André Morell and Colin Blakely. It bears little in common with th ...

'' (1968) *''

Commandos Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin">40_Commando.html" ;"title="Royal Marines from 40 Commando">Royal Marines from 40 Commando on patrol in the Sangin area of Afghanistan are pictured A commando is a combatant, or operativ ...

'' (1968) *''

The Mummy A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse. Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to: Places *Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States *Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in Par ...

'' (1969) *''

Story of a Woman ''Story of a Woman'' is a 1970 Italian-American drama romance film written, produced and directed by Leonardo Bercovici and starring Bibi Andersson, Robert Stack and James Farentino. Plot A Swedish girl studying to be a concert pianist in Rome ...

'' (1970) *''

When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth ''When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth'' (titled ''When Dinosaurs Ruled the World'' in the U.K.) is a 1970 British prehistoric dinosaur film from Hammer Films, written and directed by Val Guest, and starring Victoria Vetri. It was produced by Aida Yo ...

'' (1970) *'' Creatures the World Forgot'' (1971) *'' Eneide'' (1971) *'' La prima notte di quiete'' (1972) *'' Anno uno'' (1974)

References

External links

*
Mario Nascimbene in ''Epdlp''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nascimbene, Mario 1913 births 2002 deaths Italian film score composers Italian male film score composers Milan Conservatory alumni David di Donatello Career Award winners Nastro d'Argento winners 20th-century Italian musicians 20th-century Italian male musicians