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 soundtrac ...

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 Def ...

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, 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 nu ...

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 ...

. 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 in ...

, 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

Giuseppe De Santis Giuseppe De Santis (11 February 1917 – 16 May 1997) was an Italian film director. One of the most idealistic neorealist filmmakers of the 1940s and 1950s, he wrote and directed films punctuated by ardent cries for social reform. He was ...

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'' directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz in 1954, ''

Alexander the Great Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...

'' directed by Robert Rossen in 1956, '' The Vikings'' directed by

Richard Fleischer Richard O. Fleischer (; December 8, 1916 – March 25, 2006) was an American film director whose career spanned more than four decades, beginning at the height of the Golden Age of Hollywood and lasting through the American New Wave. Though h ...

in 1958, and '' Solomon and Sheba'' directed by

King Vidor King Wallis Vidor (; February 8, 1894 – November 1, 1982) was an American film director, film producer, and screenwriter whose 67-year film-making career successfully spanned the silent and sound eras. His works are distinguished by a vivid, ...

in 1959. These scores were conducted by

Franco Ferrara Franco Ferrara (Palermo, 4 July 1911Florence, 7 September 1985) was an Italian conductor and teacher. Among his many students are various prominent conductors, including Roberto Abbado, Riccardo Chailly, Andrew Davis and Riccardo Muti. Life and ...

, 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 The ''Nastro d'Argento'' (Silver Ribbon) is a film award assigned each year, since 1946, by ''Sindacato Nazionale dei Giornalisti Cinematografici Italiani'' ("Italian National Syndicate of Film Journalists"), the association of Italian film critic ...

awards in

1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...

for Rome 11:00, in

1960 It is also known as the "Year of Africa" because of major events—particularly the independence of seventeen African nations—that focused global attention on the continent and intensified feelings of Pan-Africanism. Events January * Ja ...

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 The year was highlighted by protests and other unrests that occurred worldwide. Events January–February * January 5 – " Prague Spring": Alexander Dubček is chosen as leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia. * J ...

for Pronto... c'è una certa Giuliana per te. He was also nominated for a David di Donatello Award in 1990 for his work on

Blue dolphin - l'avventura continua Blue is one of the three primary colours in the RYB colour model (traditional colour theory), as well as in the RGB (additive) colour model. It lies between violet and cyan on the spectrum of visible light. The eye perceives blue when o ...

. 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 Phi ...

honouring his lifetime achievements in film music.

Selected film scores

* '' Redemption'' (1943) * ''

Captain Demonio ''Captain Demonio'' ( it, Capitan Demonio) is a 1950 Italian historical film, historical adventure film directed by Carlo Borghesio and starring Adriano Rimoldi, María Martín (actress), María Martín and Luisella Beghi. Plot In 1700 in Floren ...

'' (1950) * ''

Operation Mitra ''Operation Mitra'' (Italian: ''Operazione Mitra'') is a 1951 Italian thriller film directed by Giorgio Cristallini and starring Steve Barclay and Marina Berti.Morreale p.123 Cast * Steve Barclay * Marina Berti * Margherita Bagni * Silvio ...

'' (1951) * '' It's Love That's Ruining Me'' (1951) * '' Vacation with a Gangster'' (1951) *'' Rome 11:00'' (1952) * ''

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

'' (1952) * '' The Dream of Zorro'' (1952) * '' Too Young for Love'' (1953) *'' Love in the City'' (1953) *'' The Barefoot Contessa'' (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 ecl ...

'' (1955) *''

'' (1956) *''

A Farewell to Arms ''A Farewell to Arms'' is a novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, set during the Italian campaign of World War I. First published in 1929, it is a first-person account of an American, Frederic Henry, serving as a lieutenant () in the a ...

'' (1957) *'' The Quiet American'' (1958) *'' The Vikings'' (1958) *'' Room at the Top'' (1959) *'' Subway in the Sky'' (1959) *'' Solomon and Sheba'' (1959) *''

'' (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 audie ...

'' (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'' (1961) *''

The Happy Thieves ''The Happy Thieves'' is a 1961 American crime/ comedy-drama film starring Rex Harrison and Rita Hayworth, and directed by George Marshall. The film is based on the novel '' The Oldest Confession'' by Richard Condon. The film was poorly received ...

'' (1961) *'' The Mongols'' (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 ...

'' (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 * Letici ...

'' (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 ...

'' (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'' (1965) *'' One Million Years B.C.'' (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, Olinka Berova, Edward Judd, André Morell and Colin Blakely. It bears little in common with the 1905 novel '' Ayesha: The Return of She ...

'' (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 P ...

'' (1969) *'' Story of a Woman'' (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 Y ...

'' (1970) *''

Creatures the World Forgot ''Creatures the World Forgot'' is a 1971 adventure film directed by Don Chaffey and produced and written for Hammer Films by Michael Carreras. The film concentrates on the daily struggle to survive of a tribe of Stone Age men. Very little dialogu ...

'' (1971) *'' Eneide'' (1971) *''

La prima notte di quiete ''La prima notte di quiete'' is a 1972 romantic drama film directed by Valerio Zurlini. It stars Alain Delon, Sonia Petrovna, Renato Salvatori, Alida Valli, Adalberto Maria Merli, Salvo Randone and Lea Massari. The version released in France and ...

'' (1972) *''

Anno uno ''Anno uno'' (internationally released as ''Year One'' and ''Italy: Year One'') is a 1974 Italian biographical film directed by Roberto Rossellini. The film tells the story of the political reconstruction of post-fascist Italy between 1944 and ...

'' (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