LA DOLCE VITA
From Nino Rota to Hans Zimmer
A trip through the soundtracks of the most beloved films
Music by various composers
Choreography by Agnese Omodei Salè
This new production by Balletto di Milano opened the Med Film Festival Morocco 2024 in October at the invitation of the Italian Cultural Institute of the Italian Embassy in Morocco.
Film soundtracks have always played a crucial role in evoking emotions. As the great Ennio Morricone once said, “Music for cinema must be, before being for cinema, music in itself.”
Music that makes us dream, fall in love, and amplify emotions, contributing to the success of the films it is tied to.
The ballet La Dolce Vita: from Nino Rota to Hans Zimmer is a tribute to the powerful connection between music and cinema. Through the choreography of Agnese Omodei Salè, the show takes the audience on an exciting trip through the most iconic soundtracks in film history, celebrating legendary composers who have won Oscars, BAFTAs, and David di Donatello awards. The evoked scenes call to mind indelible images and characters from the collective memory, blending dance, music, and cinema into a unique and overwhelming experience.
The show opens with a dive into 1960s Rome, paying homage to Federico Fellini and his masterpiece La Dolce Vita. The choreography continues with famous pieces from Amarcord, 8½, and Romeo and Juliet. Then the elegant melodies for Breakfast at Tiffany's embraces the viewer in an atmosphere of sophisticated nostalgia. The epic compositions of Ennio Morricone then lead the audience into the sweet melancholy of Italian cinema, with immortal tracks like Once Upon a Time in the West and Nuovo Cinema Paradiso.
The tribute to Oscar-winning composers continues with the emotional music of Dario Marianelli for Anna Karenina, which captures the drama and romance. The vibrant notes of Elliot Goldenthal evoke the vibrant and colorful world of Frida Kahlo, while the powerful compositions of Clint Mansell and Hans Zimmer add depth and intensity.
There are also pieces that, although not written for cinema, are inseparably linked to it, like Sway from Shall We Dance? and the famous Waltz No. 2 by Shostakovich, famous as the theme of the Giffoni Film Festival and the soundtrack the film Primo Carnera.
The first part of the show ends with a hymn to joy and life on the notes of La vita è bella by Roberto Benigni, Oscar for Best Original Soundtrack in 1999 for Nicola Piovani.
The second part creates a crescendo of emotions with Ravel’s Boléro, famous for its hypnotic repetitiveness and unstoppable orchestral buildup. Used by Claude Lelouch in his 1981 film “Bolero” the piece is presented in an exclusive choreographic version for the Balletto di Milano. Every gesture and movement reflects the growing intensity of the music, bringing to life a dance that explodes in a moment of great visual and narrative impact.
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