In the 1960s Rome was one of the great centres of film production, and its composers wrote some of the most distinctive soundtracks of the century. Ennio Morricone is the name everyone knows, but he worked alongside Piero Piccioni, Armando Trovajoli, Piero Umiliani and many others, moving between jazz, lounge, orchestral writing and experiments with voice and electronics.
This listening evening plays a selection of that music on original and reissued vinyl, through a carefully set up system in a room designed for listening. There are no screens and no film clips. The music is allowed to stand on its own, as it so rarely does in the cinema.
The format
The evening is divided into two sides, each about fifty minutes long. A host introduces each record briefly, saying where it came from and what to listen for, and then gets out of the way. Talking during the music is discouraged; talking during the interval is warmly encouraged.
- Two sets of around fifty minutes, with an interval
- Comfortable seating, arranged for listening rather than watching
- A printed list of every record played, to take home
The music ranges from swinging big-band themes to sparse, haunted pieces for harpsichord and voice. Some of it will be familiar from later sampling and from countless advertisements; much of it rarely leaves the shelves of specialist collectors.
Doors open at 20:00 and the first side begins at 20:30 sharp. The bar serves wine, beer and alcohol-free drinks throughout. The studio is on the ground floor with step-free access, and there are a limited number of seats with extra back support for those who need them.
