Nino Rota - Rotten Tomatoes Celebrity Profile

Biography

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Nino Rota (December 3, 1911 – April 10, 1979) was an Italian composer best known for his work on film scores, notably The Godfather series and the films of Federico Fellini.

Rota also composed ten operas, five ballets and many instrumental works. His 1977 opera The Italian Straw Hat, an adaptation of the play by Eugène Labiche was presented by the Santa Fe Opera. In 2005 his opera Aladino e la lampada magica, with Cosmin Ifrim in the title role, was performed in German translation at the Vienna State Opera and released on DVD.

Born into a musical family in Milan, Rota studied at the conservatory there under Ildebrando Pizzetti. Encouraged by Arturo Toscanini, Rota came to the United States where he lived from 1930 to 1932. Receiving a scholarship to the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia, he took classes in orchestra with Fritz Reiner and had Rosario Scalero as an instructor in composition. Returning to Milan, he wrote a thesis on the renaissance composer Gioseffo Zarlino.

During the 1940s, Rota composed scores for more than 30 films, including Renato Castellani's Zazà (1944). His association with Fellini began with Lo Sceicco Bianco (1952), followed by I Vitelloni (1953) and La Strada (1954). They continued to work together for decades, and Fellini recalled:

The most precious collaborator I have ever had, I say it straightaway and don't even have to hesitate, was Nino Rota--between us, immediately, a complete, total, harmony... He had a geometric imagination, a musical approach worthy of celestial spheres. He thus had no need to see images from my movies. When I asked him about the melodies he had in mind to comment one sequence or another, I clearly realized he was not concerned with images at all. His world was inner, inside himself, and reality had no way to enter it. [1]

Rota's score for Fellini's 8½ (1963) is often cited as one of the factors which makes the film cohesive. His score for Fellini's Juliet of the Spirits (1965) included a collaboration with Eugene Walter on the song, "Go Milk the Moon" (cut from the final version of the film), and they teamed again for the song "What Is a Youth," part of Rota's score for Franco Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet.

After his death Rota's music was the subject of the 1981 tribute album Amarcord Nino Rota. Produced by Hal Willner it is regarded as the first modern tribute album. Rota's scores for Fellini have served as an obvious inspiration for Danny Elfman's movie soundtracks.

Listen to

Nino Rota's score for Romeo and Juliet (1968)

Selective filmography

Treno popolare, directed by Raffaello Matarazzo (1933)
Giorno di nozze, directed by Raffaello Matarazzo (1942)
Il birichino di papà, directed by Raffaello Matarazzo (1943)
Zazà, directed by Renato Castellani (1944)
La donna della montagna, directed by Renato Castellani (1944)
La freccia nel fianco, directed by Alberto Lattuada e, non accreditato, Mario Costa (1945)
Lo sbaglio di essere vivo, directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (1945)
Le miserie del signor Travet, directed by Mario Soldati (1945)
Vanità, directed by Giorgio Pastina (1946)
Un americano in vacanza, directed by Luigi Zampa (1946)
Albergo Luna, camera 34, directed by Carlo Ludovico Bragaglia (1946)
Mio figlio professore, directed by Renato Castellani (1946)
Roma città libera, noto anche come Roma città libera (La notte porta consiglio), directed by Marcello Pagliero (1946)
Il delitto di Giovanni Episcopo, directed by Alberto Lattuada (1947)
Daniele Cortis, directed by Mario Soldati (1947)
Come persi la guerra, directed by Carlo Borghesio (1947)
Vivere in pace, directed by Luigi Zampa (1947)
Totò al giro d'Italia, directed by Mario Mattoli (1948)
Proibito rubare, directed by Luigi Comencini (1948)
Molti sogni per le strade, directed by Mario Camerini (1948)
Sotto il sole di Roma, directed by Renato Castellani (1948)
Fuga in Francia, directed by Mario Soldati (1948)
È primavera..., directed by Renato Castellani (1948)
Senza pietà, directed by Alberto Lattuada (1948)
Arrivederci, papà!, directed by Camillo Mastrocinque (1948)
Amanti senza amore, directed by Gianni Franciolini (1948)
Anni difficili, directed by Luigi Zampa (1948)
L'eroe della strada, directed by Carlo Borghesio (1948)
Quel bandito sono io, directed by Mario Soldati (1949)
La montagna di cristallo (The Glass Mountain), directed by Edoardo Anton e Henry Cass (1949)
Come scopersi l'America, directed by Carlo Borghesio (1949)
Vendico il tuo peccato (Obsession), directed by Edward Dmytryk (1949)
I pirati di Capri, directed by Edgar G. Ulmer & Giuseppe Maria Scotese (1949)
Children of Chance, directed by Luigi Zampa (1949)
Campane a martello, directed by Luigi Zampa (1950)
Vita da cani, directed by Mario Monicelli & Steno (1950)
Peppino e Violetta, directed by Maurice Cloche (1950)
Napoli milionaria, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1950)
È più facile che un cammello..., directed by Luigi Zampa (1950)
È arrivato il cavaliere!, directed by Mario Monicelli & Steno (1950)
Due mogli sono troppe, directed by Mario Camerini (1950)
Donne e briganti, directed by Mario Soldati (1950)
La valle delle aquile (Valley of Eagles), directed by Terence Young (1951)
Totò e i re di Roma, directed by Mario Monicelli & Steno (1951)
Peppino e Violetta (The Small Miracle), directed by Maurice Cloche e Ralph Smart (1951)
Il monello della strada, directed by Carlo Borghesio (1951)
Le meravigliose avventure di Guerrin Meschino, directed by Pietro Francisci (1951)
Filumena Marturano, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1951)
Era lui... sì! sì!, directed by Marino Girolami, Marcello Marchesi e Vittorio Metz (1951)
Anna, directed by Alberto Lattuada (1951)
I tre corsari, directed by Mario Soldati (1952)
La mano dello straniero (The Stranger's Hand), directed by Mario Soldati (1952)
Something Money Can't Buy, directed by Pat Jackson (1952)
I sette dell'orsa maggiore, directed by Duilio Coletti (1952)
La regina di Saba, directed by Pietro Francisci (1952)
Noi due soli, directed by Marino Girolami (1952)
Marito e moglie, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1952)
Jolanda la figlia del corsaro nero, directed by Mario Soldati (1952)
Gli angeli del quartiere, directed by Carlo Borghesio (1952)
Un ladro in paradiso, directed by Domenico Paolella (1952)
Lo sceicco bianco, directed by Federico Fellini (1952)
Venetian Bird, directed by Ralph Thomas (1952)
Stella dell'India (Star of India), directed by Arthur Lubin (1953)
Scampolo 53, directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1953)
Riscatto noto anche come Riscatto - tu sei il mio giudice, directed by Marino Girolami (1953)
La domenica della buona gente, directed by Anton Giulio Majano (1953)
Fanciulle di lusso, directed by Bernard Vorhaus (1953)
Me li mangio vivi (Le boulanger de Valorgue), directed by Henri Verneuil (1953)
I Vitelloni, directed by Federico Fellini (1953)
Anni facili, directed by Luigi Zampa (1953)
Musoduro noto anche come Amore selvaggio, directed by Giuseppe Bennati (1953)
Il nemico pubblico numero uno (L'ennemi public no 1), directed by Henri Verneuil (1953)
Via Padova 46 noto anche come Lo scocciatore e come Via Padova 46 - Lo scocciatore , directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1954)
Vergine moderna, directed by Marcello Pagliero (1954)
La nave delle donne maledette, directed by Raffaello Matarazzo (1954)
La grande speranza, directed by Duilio Coletti (1954)
Le due orfanelle, directed by Giacomo Gentilomo (1954)
Divisione Folgore, directed by Duilio Coletti (1954)
Garibaldina, episodio di Cento anni d'amore, directed by Lionello De Felice (1954)
Pendolin, episodio di Cento anni d'amore, directed by Lionello De Felice (1954)
Appassionatamente, directed by Giacomo Gentilomo (1954)
L'amante di Paride, directed by Marc Allégret & Edgar G. Ulmer (1954)
La Strada, directed by Federico Fellini (1954)
Mambo, directed by Robert Rossen (1954)
Proibito, directed by Mario Monicelli (1954)
Io piaccio noto anche come La via del successo con le donne, directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1955)
Accadde al penitenziario, directed by Giorgio Bianchi (1955)
Un eroe dei nostri tempi, directed by Mario Monicelli (1955)
Bella non piangere!, directed by David Carbonari e Duilio Coletti (1955)
Il bidone, directed by Federico Fellini (1955)
Amici per la pelle, directed by Franco Rossi (1955)
La bella di Roma, directed by Luigi Comencini (1955)
Guerra e pace (War and Peace), directed by King Vidor (1956)
Londra chiama Polo Nord, directed by Duilio Coletti (1956)
Città di notte, directed by Leopoldo Trieste (1956)
Il medico e lo stregone, directed by Mario Monicelli (1957)
Italia piccola, directed by Mario Soldati (1957)
Il momento più bello, directed by Luciano Emmer (1957)
Le notti bianche, directed by Luchino Visconti (1957)
Le Notti di Cabiria, directed by Federico Fellini (1957)
Giovani mariti, directed by Mauro Bolognini (1958)
Fortunella, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1958)
La diga sul Pacifico (This Angry Age), directed by René Clément (1958)
Deserto di gloria (El Alamein), directed by Guido Malatesta (1958)
Gli italiani sono matti, directed by Duilio Coletti e Luis María Delgado (1958)
La legge è legge, directed by Christian-Jaque (1958)
La grande guerra, directed by Mario Monicelli (Mario Monicelli, 1959)
Un ettaro di cielo, directed by Aglauco Casadio (1959)
Delitto in pieno sole (Plein soleil), directed by René Clément (1960)
La Dolce Vita, directed by Federico Fellini (1960)
Sotto dieci bandiere, directed by Duilio Coletti (1960)
Rocco e i suoi fratelli, directed by Luchino Visconti (1960)
Fantasmi a Roma, directed by Antonio Pietrangeli (1961)
Il brigante, directed by Renato Castellani (1961)
Mafioso, directed by Alberto Lattuada (1962)
I due nemici (The Best of Enemies), directed by Guy Hamilton (1962)
Cronache di un convento (The Reluctant Saint), directed by Edward Dmytryk (1962)
Le tentazioni del dottor Antonio, episodio di Boccaccio '70, directed by Federico Fellini (1962)
Il lavoro, episodio di Boccaccio '70, directed by Luchino Visconti (1962)
L'isola di Arturo, directed by Damiano Damiani (1962)
Il Gattopardo, directed by Luchino Visconti (1963)
8½, directed by Federico Fellini (1963)
Il maestro di Vigevano, directed by Elio Petri (1963)
Il giornalino di Gian Burrasca, serie TV in 8 episodi da 60', directed by Lina Wertmüller (1964)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, film TV, directed by Joan Kemp-Welch (1964)
L'ora di punta, episodio di Oggi, domani, dopodomani, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1965)
Giulietta degli spiriti, directed by Federico Fellini (1965)
Spara forte, più forte, non capisco, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1966)
La bisbetica domata (The Taming of the Shrew), directed by Franco Zeffirelli (1967)
Romeo e Giulietta (Romeo and Juliet), directed by Franco Zeffirelli (1968)
Toby Dammit, episodio di Tre passi nel delirio (Histoires extraordinaires), regia di Federico Fellini (1968)
Block-notes di un regista, film TV, directed by Federico Fellini (1969)
Fellini Satyricon, directed by Federico Fellini (1969)
Paranoia, directed by Umberto Lenzi (1970)
Waterloo, directed by Sergei Bondarchuk (1970)
I clowns, film per la TV, directed by Federico Fellini (1971)
Roma, directed by Federico Fellini (1972)
The Godfather, directed by Francis Ford Coppola (1972)
Hi wa shizumi, hi wa noboru, directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara (1973)
Amarcord, directed by Federico Fellini (1973)
Film d'amore e d'anarchia ovvero "stamattina alle 10 in via dei Fiori nella nota casa di tolleranza...", noto anche come Film d'amore e d'anarchia, directed by Lina Wertmuller (1973)
The Godfather Part II, directed by Francis Ford Coppola (1974)
La rinuncia (The Abdication), directed by Anthony Harvey (1974)
E il Casanova di Fellini?, documentario TV, directed by Gianfranco Angelucci e Liliane Betti (1975)
Ragazzo di Borgata, directed by Giulio Paradisi (1976)
Caro Michele, directed by Mario Monicelli (1976)
Fellini's Casanova, directed by Federico Fellini (1976)
Alle origini della mafia, mini serie TV in 5 episodi di 50 minuti, directed by Enzo Muzii (1976)
Las alegres chicas de "El Molino", directed by José Antonio de la Loma (1977)
Prova d'orchestra, directed by Federico Fellini (1978)
Assassinio sul Nilo (Death on the Nile), directed by John Guillermin (1978)
Il teatro di Eduardo, directed by Eduardo De Filippo (1978)
Ten to Survive (1979)
Uragano (Hurricane), directed by Jan Troell (1979)

External links

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