The stage is dark. A tremor can be felt. Then music begins – more a collage of different sounds. A harmonica. The brief moment of a whistled melody. It is unmistakably the music of Ennio Morricone. The composer, who passed away in Rome in 2020, became famous above all for his film scores for classics such as ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST and THE MISSION. His distinctive and memorable compositions have long since transcended their films, turning Ennio Morricone into a global icon.

NOTTE MORRICONE marks the first collaboration between Spanish choreographer Marcos Morau and the contemporary dance company CCN/Aterballetto from Italy, which has been delighting Cologne audiences since 2009 with a wide range of choreographies. Morau and his own company, La Veronal, have also built up a large following in Cologne through regular guest performances.

“With ‚Notte Morricone‘, Morau once again unfolds an impressive artistic spectacle.” Set against a nocturnal backdrop, an atmospheric dance narrative emerges, taking the audience on a journey through Ennio Morricone’s life, work, and thoughts. His musically rich and multifaceted universe forms the sonic space of this “night of the artist.” The music has been arranged by Maurizio Billi, a longtime friend of Morricone. NOTTE MORRICONE could be a restless night in the composer’s life – during recording sessions in the studio, surrounded by scores and notes in the solitude of his study. It could also be a dream in which the boundaries between time and space, film and life, present and past begin to blur. The remarkable Aterballetto ensemble guides the audience through the scenes and dimensions of this surreal, cinematic theatrical night – at times in gentle duets, at others with powerful ensemble sequences. Marcos Morau’s distinctive narrative style is reflected in the movement language of the 16 dancers. As if guided by invisible threads, their bodies follow the rhythms and melodies of Morricone’s music.

This grand evening of dance theatre is a tribute to the musical legacy of an extraordinary personality – rich in detail, delighting in the curious, deeply moving, and visually striking.