You
may have heard the music of Academy Award-winning composer Nino Rota
(1911–1979) if you’ve tuned into 90.9 WGUC…or if you’re a fan of The Godfather (1972)! Rota was a famous
early-film composer, who was known for his work on Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather, Franco Zeffireli’s Romeo and Juliet (1968), and many
directed by Federico Fellini.
Born
into a musical family, Rota was considered a child prodigy known for his
composing and conducting. He attended the Curtis Institute in the early 1930s
and then returned to his native Italy where he taught. While he wrote opera,
ballet, and orchestral works, his film music is probably the most well-known.
Below,
you can enjoy a few Rota-hits. What is your favorite of his film scores?
