Nicola Piovani
Born: 26 May 1946, Rome, Italy.
Biography:
Italian composer and arranger Nicola Piovani began learning the piano at the age of nine, and received a music degree from the Verdi Conservatory in Milan in 1967. Shortly after obtaining his diploma, he began working with actor and singer-songwriter Duilio Del Prete, and later worked with the singer-songwriter Fabrizio De André, with whom he collaborated on two of his albums, “Non all'amore non al denaro né al cielo” and “Storie d'un impiegato”. In the late 1960s, Piovani also entertained his love for jazz, performing in alternative clubs, accompanying singers, and writing music for stage shows for artists such as puppeteer Otello Sarzi. He also began writing music for documentaries in Italy at this time, having received inspiration and instruction in orchestration fromGreek composer Manos Hadjidakis. Piovani scored his first dramatic film in 1970, and his early work in Italy included titles such as "Il Profumo Della Signora In Nero (1973)", "Flavia the Heretic" (1974), "La Notte di San Lorenzo" (1982), "Chaos" (1984) and "Il Camorrista" (1985). After the death of Nino Rota, Piovani became director Federico Fellini's composer-of-choice, working with the great man on "Ginger and Fred" (1986), "Intervista" (1987) and "The Voice of the Moon" (1990), which subsequently raised his international profile. Since then, his international successes have included "Dear Diary" (1994), "La Stanza Del Figlio" (2001), "Pinocchio" (2002), and the Oscar-wining "Life is Beautiful" (1997) for the irrepressible director Roberto Benigni. In addition to his film work, Piovani maintains a strong musical relationship with the theatre, having recently written the musical comedy I sette re di Roma by Luigi Magni and featuring Gigi Proietti, and travelled with the theatrical show Stabat Mater with Vincenzo Cerami to venues in Bethlehem and Rome. Somewhat oddly, prior to his Oscar success in 1997, certain biographies stated that Piovani was not a real person, and was in fact a pseudonym used by Ennio Morricone!
Reviews:
Dear Diary, I Don't Want To Talk About It, Il Camorrista, La Messa e'Finita, Life Is Beautiful and Palombella Rossa
Filmography:
Il Grande Sogno (2008), Elle s'appelle Sabine (2007), Il Quinto dell’Inferno (2007), Avenue Montaigne (2006), Je Vais Bien, Ne T'en Fais Pas (2006), Odette Toulemonde (2006), Der Räuber Hotzenplotz (2006), La Tigre e la Neve (2005), L’Équipier (2004), Luisa Sanfelice (2004), Maigret: l’Ombra Cinese (2004), Maigret: La Trappola (2004), Gli Indesirabili (2003), La Tivù di Fellini (2003), Clown in Kabul (2002), Pinocchio (2002), AAA Achille (2001), Angelo Il Custode (2001), Come Quando Fuori Piove (2001), In Love and War (2001), Il Nostro Matrimonio è in Crisi (2001), Nowhere (2001), Das Sam (2001), La Stanza del Figlio (2001), Resurrezione (2001), Linda - El Brigadiere (2000), La Secondo Ombra (2000), Tobia al Caffè (2000), Vipera (2000), Il Dolce Far Niente (1999), La Fame e la Sete (1999), Running Free (1999), Amor Nel Speccio (1999), Aprile (1998), Acts of Justice (1998), Tu Ridi (1998), Life Is Beautiful (1997), Camere Da Letto (1997), El Impostor (1997), Charlotte Sophie Bentinck (1996), La Mia Generazione (1996), Uomo d'Acqua Dolce (1996), Dir Vliegende Hollander (1995), A Month By The Lake (1995), Nemici d'Infanzia (1995), Dear Diary (1994), Amico Mio (1994), C'è Kim Novak al Telefono (1994), The Tit and The Moon (1994), Amok (1993), Fiorile (1993), I Don't Want To Talk About It (1993), Il Giovane Mussolini (1993), Golden Balls (1993), Per Amore Solo Per Amore (1993), Utz (1992), Jamón Jamón (1992), Hors La Vie (1991), Caccia Alla Vedova (1991), De Onfatsoenlijke Vrouw (1991), Il Sole Anche di Notte (1990), Der Berg (1990), In Nome Del Popolo Sovrano (1990), Il Male Oscuro (1990), Tracce di Vita Amorosa (1990), Australia (1989), Manifesto (1989), 'O Re (1989), La Cintura (1989), Disamistade (1989), Palombella Rossa (1989), La Soûle (1989), La Voce Della Luna (1989), I Cammelli (1988), Domani Accadrà (1988), Lenin: The Train (1988), Intervista (1987), Good Morning, Babylon (1987), Drôle d'Endroit Pour Une Rencontre (1987), Les Exploits d'Un Jeune Don Juan (1987), Ginger and Fred (1986), La Sposa era Bellissima (1986), Il Camorrista (1985), Le Due Vite di Mattia Pascal (1985), La Messa e'Finita (1985), Segreti Segreti (1985), Speriamo Che Sia Femmina (1985), De Schorpioen (1984), Bertoldo, Bertoldino E... Cacasenno (1984), Chaos (1984), La Trace (1983), La Notte di San Lorenzo (1982), Gli Occhi La Bocca (1982), La Vela Incantata (1982), Il Marchese Del Grillo (1981), The Girl With The Red Hair (1981), Salto Nel Vuoto (1979), The Seagull (1977), The Last Three Days (1977), Marcia Trionfale (1976), Flavia The Heretic (1974), L'Invenzione Di Morel (1974), Le Orme (1974), Il Profumo Della Signora In Nero (1973), Sbatti Il Mostro In Prima Pagina (1973), N.P. (1971), Nel Nome Del Padre (1971), La Ragazza Di Latta (1970).
Highest Grossing Films as at end of 2007 (adjusted for inflation):
Life is Beautiful ($86.4m), Pinocchio ($4.5m), A Month By the Lake ($3.4m), Avenue Montaigne ($1.6m), Manifesto ($0.1m), The Girl With The Red Hair (negligible grosses), La Notte di San Lorenzo (negligible grosses)
Awards:
1998 Academy Awards - Winner, Best Original Dramatic Score - Life is Beautiful
1999 Grammy Awards – Nominee, Best Instrumental Composition Written for a Motion Picture or Television – Life is Beautiful
Links:
Official Site
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