Riziero "Riz" Ortolani (25 March 1926 – 23 January 2014) was an Italian film composer. Ortolani scored over 300 films working mostly within the Italian genres of Mondo, Giallo, and the Spaghetti Western. Ortolani also scored many Hollywood films and has had some of his compositions reused in films like Drive and Django Unchained. Ortolani's most famous composition is More, which he wrote for the infamous film Mondo Cane. It won the 1964 Grammy Award for Best Instrumental Theme and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the 36th Academy Awards. The song was later covered by Frank Sinatra, Kai Winding, Andy Williams, Roy Orbison, and others.
Ortolani was born on 25 March 1926 in Pesaro, Italy. He was the youngest of six children. Ortolani's father, a postal worker, gave his son a violin at age 4. Ortolani later switched to flute after injuring his elbow in a car accident. He studied at the Conservatorio Statale di Musica "Gioachino Rossini" in his hometown of Pesaro before moving to Rome in 1948 and finding work with the RAI orchestra. Though the chronology is unclear, he also likely served as a musician in the Italian Air Force orchestra, formed a Jazz ensemble, and came to the United States as a Jazz musician in Hollywood, all before scoring his first film.
Ortolani married Katyna Ranieri in 1956.
In the early 1950s, Ortolani was founder and member of a well-known Italian jazz band. One of his early film scores was for Paolo Cavara and Gualtiero Jacopetti's 1962 pseudo-documentary Mondo Cane, whose main title-song More earned him a Grammy and was also nominated for an Oscar as Best Song. The success of the soundtrack of Mondo Cane led Ortolani to score films in England and the United States such as The Yellow Rolls-Royce (1964), The Spy with a Cold Nose (1966), The Biggest Bundle of Them All (1968) and Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell (1968). He also scored the 1972 film The Valachi Papers, directed by Terence Young and starring Charles Bronson.
Ortolani scored all or parts of over 200 films, including German westerns like Old Shatterhand (1964) and a long series of Italian giallos, Spaghetti Westerns, Eurospy films, Exploitation films and mondo films. These include Il Sorpasso (1962), Castle of Blood (1964), Africa Addio (1966), Day of Anger (1967), Anzio (1968), The McKenzie Break (1970), The Hunting Party (1971), A Reason to Live, a Reason to Die (1972), Seven Blood-Stained Orchids (1972), The Fifth Musketeer (1979), From Hell to Victory (1979), the controversial Ruggero Deodato films Cannibal Holocaust (1980) and The House on the Edge of the Park (1980), and the first series of La piovra (1984). In later years he scored many films for Italian director Pupi Avati.
His music was used on soundtracks for Grand Theft Auto: London 1969 (1999), Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003), Kill Bill: Volume 2 (2004), Drive (2011) and Django Unchained (2012).
In 2013, he was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Soundtrack Academy.
Ortolani died on 23 January 2014 in Rome, aged 87.
Source: Article "Riz Ortolani" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
2010 | Una sconfinata giovinezza - Original Music Composer |
2010 | Il figlio più piccolo - Music |
2008 | Il papà di Giovanna - Music |
2007 | Il nascondiglio - Original Music Composer |
2007 | La cena per farli conoscere - Original Music Composer |
2005 | La seconda notte di nozze - Original Music Composer |
2005 | Ma quando arrivano le ragazze? - Music |
2003 | Nella giungla: The Making of Cannibal Holocaust - Original Music Composer |
2003 | Il cuore altrove - Original Music Composer |
1998 | Grandes ocasiones - Music |
1997 | Il testimone dello sposo - Music |
1994 | Göz Zevki - Music |
1993 | Magnificat - Original Music Composer |
1992 | L'angelo con la pistola - Original Music Composer |
1991 | Paprika - Original Music Composer |
1990 | Killer Crocodile 2 - Original Music Composer |
1990 | Una fredda mattina di maggio - Music |
1990 | A Season of Giants - Original Music Composer |
1990 | Nel giardino delle rose - Original Music Composer |
1990 | Il sole buio - Original Music Composer |
1989 | Killer Crocodile - Original Music Composer |
1989 | Una casa a Roma - Original Music Composer |
1989 | Gioco al massacro - Music |
1989 | Storia di ragazzi e di ragazze - Music |
1987 | Ultimo minuto - Original Music Composer |
1987 | Brothers in Blood - Music |
1987 | Kapris - Original Music Composer |
1986 | L'Inchiesta - Original Music Composer |
1986 | Regalo di Natale - Original Music Composer |
1986 | La bonne - Music |
1985 | Yumuşak Et - Music |
1985 | Festa di laurea - Music |
1985 | Impiegati - Original Music Composer |
1984 | Noi tre - Music |
1984 | Tuareg - Il guerriero del deserto - Conductor |
1984 | Tuareg - Il guerriero del deserto - Original Music Composer |
1984 | I guerrieri dell'anno 2072 - Music |
1983 | Una gita scolastica - Original Music Composer |
1983 | Un foro nel parabrezza - Music |
1983 | Zeder - Original Music Composer |
1982 | Valentina - Original Music Composer |
1982 | La ragazza di Trieste - Music |
1982 | Porca vacca - Original Music Composer |
1982 | I camionisti - Original Music Composer |
1982 | Più bello di così si muore - Original Music Composer |
1981 | Nessuno è perfetto - Original Music Composer |
1981 | Miele di donna - Original Music Composer |
1981 | Fantasma d'amore - Original Music Composer |
1981 | Aiutami a sognare - Original Music Composer |
1981 | Madhouse - Original Music Composer |
1980 | La casa sperduta nel parco - Original Music Composer |
1980 | L'avvertimento - Original Music Composer |
1980 | Maria - Nur die Nacht war Zeuge - Original Music Composer |
1980 | Cannibal Holocaust - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Il corpo della ragassa - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Un dramma borghese - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Gegè Bellavita - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Giallo napoletano - Original Music Composer |
1979 | The Fifth Musketeer - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Gli anni struggenti - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Letti selvaggi - Original Music Composer |
1979 | Contro 4 bandiere - Original Music Composer |
1978 | Primo amore - Original Music Composer |
1978 | Brutes and Savages - Original Music Composer |
1978 | Le braghe del padrone - Music |
1978 | Enigma rosso - Original Music Composer |
1978 | Cyclone - Music |
1977 | La ragazza dal pigiama giallo - Music |
1977 | Doppio delitto - Conductor |
1977 | Doppio delitto - Original Music Composer |
1977 | Io ho paura - Original Music Composer |
1977 | Sahara Cross - Original Music Composer |
1977 | Casanova & Co. - Original Music Composer |
1977 | Passi di morte perduti nel buio - Original Music Composer |
1976 | Mimì Bluette... fiore del mio giardino - Music |
1976 | Skandal - Original Music Composer |
1976 | Natale in casa d'appuntamento - Original Music Composer |
1975 | Qui comincia l'avventura - Original Music Composer |
1975 | Paolo Barca, maestro elementare, praticamente nudista - Music |
1975 | Mondo Candido - Original Music Composer |
1975 | Perché si uccide un magistrato - Original Music Composer |
1975 | Vieni, vieni amore mio - Music |
1974 | There Is No 13 - Music |
1974 | Per amare Ofelia - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Le guerriere dal seno nudo - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Dio, sei proprio un padreterno! - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Teresa la ladra - Original Music Composer |
1973 | One Way - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Contratto carnale - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Il consigliori - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Bisturi - La mafia bianca - Original Music Composer |
1973 | No, il caso è felicemente risolto - Original Music Composer |
1973 | La morte negli occhi del gatto - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Si può essere più bastardi dell'ispettore Cliff? - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Gli Eroi - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Cari genitori - Original Music Composer |
1973 | Fury - Music |
1972 | Yaşama Nedeni - Music |
1972 | Non si sevizia un paperino - Conductor |
1972 | Non si sevizia un paperino - Original Music Composer |
1972 | Girolimoni, il mostro di Roma - Original Music Composer |
1972 | Jus primae noctis - Original Music Composer |
1972 | L'etrusco uccide ancora - Original Music Composer |
1972 | Abuso di potere - Music |
1972 | Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso - Conductor |
1972 | Sette orchidee macchiate di rosso - Original Music Composer |
1972 | The Valachi Papers - Original Music Composer |
1972 | Tutti fratelli nel west... per parte di padre - Original Music Composer |
1971 | Addio zio Tom - Original Music Composer |
1971 | Il merlo maschio - Original Music Composer |
1971 | Non commettere atti impuri - Original Music Composer |
1971 | Nella stretta morsa del ragno - Original Music Composer |
1971 | Av Partisi - Conductor |
1971 | Av Partisi - Music |
1971 | Confessione di un commissario di polizia al procuratore della Repubblica - Original Music Composer |
1971 | The Statue - Original Music Composer |
1971 | Say Hello to Yesterday - Music |
1970 | La prima notte del dottor Danieli, industriale, col complesso del... giocattolo - Original Music Composer |
1970 | Madron - Original Music Composer |
1970 | Zorlu Firar - Music |
1970 | La ragazza di nome Giulio - Music |
1970 | Disperatamente l'estate scorsa - Music |
1970 | Batının Dört Devi: Ciakmull - Original Music Composer |
1970 | La colomba non deve volare - Original Music Composer |
1970 | Un caso di coscienza - Original Music Composer |
1970 | Andrea Doria -74 - Original Music Composer |
1970 | Con quale amore con quanto amore - Original Music Composer |
1969 | La notte dei serpenti - Original Music Composer |
1969 | O Cangaceiro - Original Music Composer |
1969 | La cattura - Original Music Composer |
1969 | Così dolce... così perversa - Music |
1969 | Una sull'altra - Original Music Composer |
1969 | Il dito nella piaga - Original Music Composer |
1969 | Cinque figli di cane - Music |
1969 | Kampf um Rom II - Der Verrat - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Kampf um Rom – 1. Teil - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Le calde notti di Lady Hamilton - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell - Music |
1968 | Tenderly - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Benim Güzel Günlerim - Conductor |
1968 | Benim Güzel Günlerim - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Lo sbarco di Anzio - Music |
1968 | Al di là della legge - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Banditi a Milano - Original Music Composer |
1968 | Sequestro di persona - Original Music Composer |
1968 | The Biggest Bundle of Them All - Original Music Composer |
1967 | I giorni dell'ira - Original Music Composer |
1967 | La cintura di castità - Music |
1967 | Yedi Kere Kadın - Conductor |
1967 | Yedi Kere Kadın - Original Music Composer |
1967 | Tiffany Memorandum - Original Music Composer |
1967 | La ragazza del bersagliere - Original Music Composer |
1967 | Requiescant - Original Music Composer |
1966 | Non faccio la guerra, faccio l'amore - Music |
1966 | The Spy with a Cold Nose - Music |
1966 | Operazione Goldman - Original Music Composer |
1966 | Africa Addio - Original Music Composer |
1966 | Cifrato speciale - Music |
1965 | Berlino - Appuntamento per le spie - Music |
1965 | Con rispetto parlando - Music |
1965 | Das Geheimnis der drei Dschunken - Original Music Composer |
1965 | Zafere Doğru - Original Music Composer |
1965 | El diablo también llora - Original Music Composer |
1965 | The Car That Became a Star - Music |
1964 | The Yellow Rolls-Royce - Conductor |
1964 | The Yellow Rolls-Royce - Original Music Composer |
1964 | Antes llega la muerte - Music |
1964 | The 7th Dawn - Music |
1964 | Le ore nude - Compositor |
1964 | Old Shatterhand - Music |
1964 | Brandy, el sheriff de Losatumba - Original Music Composer |
1964 | Danza macabra - Original Music Composer |
1964 | El sabor de la venganza - Original Music Composer |
1963 | Il mondo di notte numero 3 - Original Music Composer |
1963 | La vergine di Norimberga - Original Music Composer |
1963 | Il crollo di Roma - Original Music Composer |
1963 | La donna nel mondo - Original Music Composer |
1962 | Flying Clipper - Traumreise unter weißen Segeln - Original Music Composer |
1962 | Gamsız Hayat - Original Music Composer |
1962 | Mondo Cane - Music |
1961 | Ursus nella valle dei leoni - Original Music Composer |
1961 | Very Important Person - Original Music Composer |
1957 | Terrore sulla città - Music |
1956 | Processo all'amore - Original Music Composer |
1955 | Le vacanze del Sor Clemente - Music |
Duvar