Mask Tribute to Ennio Morricone

One of Ennio Morricone's more obscure soundtracks was made for the 1968 movie Danger Diabolik. Even many Morricone fans have never heard it, and it wasn't even all that easy to find. That's unfortunate, as it's an impressive work, not to mention one of his most maniacal.

One of the most 'hidden' and sought after releases of all times is finally getting a due repress: a work of epic proportions, Ennio Morricone's and Bruno Nicolai's "Dimensioni Sonore" has been eluding collectors and affectionate listeners for about 50 years.

Criminally overshadowed by the moral uproar surrounding Adrian Lyne's film remake of Vladimir Nabokov's groundbreaking novel Lolita was Ennio Morricone's remarkable score, a hauntingly beautiful (and beautifully haunting) effort on par with Il Maestro's finest work. The music possesses a darkly dreamlike sensuality that perfectly communicates the erotic obsession at the material's core. Morricone's elegant melodies are daring yet subtle, shaded by melancholy strings and ethereal electronic textures. Milan's official soundtrack release is something of a misfire, however, interrupting Morricone's reverie with period pop hits like Ella Fitzgerald's "Tain't What You Do" and Louis Prima's "Civilization (Bongo, Bongo, Bongo)." Great music, without a doubt, but poorly matched to the intimacy of the instrumental score.