The Mission
Soundtrack album by
Ennio Morricone
ReleasedAugust 5, 1986 (Original)
December 17, 2002 (Remastered)
RecordedSeptember 1985-February 1986, London
GenreClassical
Length48:47
LabelVirgin Records
ProducerEnnio Morricone
Ennio Morricone soundtracks chronology
The Venetian Woman
(1986) 		The Mission
(1986) 		C.A.T. Squad
(1986)
Singles from The Mission
  1. "Gabriel's Oboe"
    Released: August 5, 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
Filmtracks.com[2]
Movie Music UKNo Rating[3]

The Mission is the soundtrack from the film of the same name (directed by Roland Joffé), composed, orchestrated, conducted and produced by Ennio Morricone. The work combines liturgical chorales, native drumming, and Spanish-influenced guitars, often in the same track, in an attempt to capture the varying cultures depicted in the film.[4] The main theme, "Falls", remains one of Morricone's most memorable pieces, and has been used in numerous commercials since its original release. The Italian song "Nella Fantasia" ("In My Fantasy") is based on the theme "Gabriel's Oboe" and has been recorded by multiple artists including, Sarah Brightman, Amici Forever, Il Divo, Russell Watson, Hayley Westenra, Jackie Evancho, Katherine Jenkins, Amira Willighagen and Yasuto Tanaka.

The soundtrack was nominated for an Academy Award in 1987 and won the Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score and the BAFTA Award for Best Music. It was selected as the 23rd best film score in American Cinema in the American Film Institute's 100 Years of Film Scores.[5] The music was also used during the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Track listing

All songs by Ennio Morricone.

  1. "On Earth as It Is in Heaven" – 3:50
  2. "Falls" – 1:55
  3. "Gabriel's Oboe" – 2:14
  4. "Ave Maria Guaraní" – 2:51
  5. "Brothers" – 1:32
  6. "Carlotta" – 1:21
  7. "Vita Nostra" – 1:54
  8. "Climb" – 1:37
  9. "Remorse" – 2:46
  10. "Penance" – 4:03
  11. "The Mission" – 2:49
  12. "River" – 1:59
  13. "Gabriel's Oboe" – 2:40
  14. "Te Deum Guaraní" – 0:48
  15. "Refusal" – 3:30
  16. "Asunción" – 1:27
  17. "Alone" – 4:25
  18. "Guaraní" – 3:56
  19. "The Sword" – 2:00
  20. "Miserere" – 1:00

Charts

Chart (1987) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6] 26

Certifications and sales

Region Certification Certified units/sales
Argentina (CAPIF)[7] Gold 30,000^
Canada (Music Canada)[8] Gold 50,000^
France (SNEP)[9] Gold 100,000*
Poland (ZPAV)[10] Platinum 100,000*
Spain (PROMUSICAE)[11] Platinum 100,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[12] Gold 100,000^
United States (RIAA)[13] Gold 500,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Personnel

Academy Awards

Morricone's score for The Mission did not win the Oscar for Best Original Score, losing to Herbie Hancock's Round Midnight. The award is considered one of the most controversial in that category, because it beat out James Horner's score for Aliens, Jerry Goldsmith's score for Hoosiers and that of Ennio Morricone for The Mission. In his review of the score to Hoosiers, Christian Clemmensen of Filmtracks.com stated: 'The awarding of the Original Score Oscar for 1986 to Herbie Hancock for Round Midnight is considered one of the greatest of the many injustices that have befallen nominees for that category. Ennio Morricone and, to a lesser extent, James Horner were worthy of recognition that year, though Goldsmith's Hoosiers stands in a class of its own because of its immense impact on the picture.'[14] Morricone, who did not win a competitive Oscar until 2015 (for Quentin Tarantino's The Hateful Eight), said in an interview: 'I definitely felt that I should have won for The Mission, especially when you consider that the Oscar-winner that year was Round Midnight, which was not an original score. It had a very good arrangement by Herbie Hancock, but it used existing pieces. So there could be no comparison with The Mission. There was a theft!'.[15] As a result, the music branch of the Academy decided to "tighten up the rules" so that "Scores diluted by the use of tracked (inserted music not written by the composer) or pre-existing music" would no longer be eligible for award nomination.[16]

See also

References

  1. ^ Allmusic review
  2. ^ Filmtracks.com review
  3. ^ Movie Music UK review
  4. ^ The Mission soundtrack review at Filmtracks.com. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
  5. ^ AFI's 100 Years Of Film Scores from the American Film Institute. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
  6. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 284. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  7. ^ "Discos de oro y platino" (in Spanish). Cámara Argentina de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 12 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Ennio Morricone – The Mission The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack". Music Canada.
  9. ^ "French album certifications – Ennio Morricone – Mission (B.O.F.)" (in French). InfoDisc. Retrieved 27 October 2021. Select ENNIO MORRICONE and click OK. 
  10. ^ "Wyróżnienia – Platynowe płyty CD - Archiwum - Przyznane w 2000 roku" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry.
  11. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  12. ^ "British album certifications – Ennio Morricone – The Mission". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 27 October 2021.
  13. ^ "American album certifications – Soundtrack – The Mission". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  14. ^ Hoosiers soundtrack review at Filmtracks.com. Retrieved 2011-03-27.
  15. ^ Adam Sweeting (2001-02-23). "The Friday interview: Ennio Morricone | Film". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 2012-03-07.
  16. ^ Koehler, Robert (1988-01-28). "Controversy Dogs 'Jacket' Score As It's Barred From Oscar Race". Los Angeles Times. California Times. Retrieved 2023-03-14. The committee decided to tighten up the rules after Herbie Hancock won the Oscar for best original score last year for " 'Round Midnight"--a film, the panelist argued, more memorable for its jazz standards than Hancock's original work. According to the 1987 Oscar rules book, "Scores diluted by the use of tracked (inserted music not written by the composer) or pre-existing music" are not eligible.
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