Nino Rota Overview

Nino Rota was one of the most prolific and acclaimed film composers of his era, and his 30-year collaboration with Fellini became one of the classic director-composer pairings. His soundtrack credits range from Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" to Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo... [more]

Nino Rota was one of the most prolific and acclaimed film composers of his era, and his 30-year collaboration with Fellini became one of the classic director-composer pairings. His soundtrack credits range from Fellini's "La Dolce Vita" to Franco Zeffirelli's "Romeo and Juliet" to Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather." He also produced such classics as "La Strada," "8 1/2," and "Amarcord." Born in Milan to a family of musicians, Rota's talent was recognized early; his work was already being played when he was still 12 years of age. He was an "enfant prodige;" as a young man, he was famous as both conductor and composer. With such a talent, Rota had a long career in classical music to look forward to, and for the next 20 years or so (until he'd reached the ripe old age of 33) that is exactly what he did, writing nine operas, five ballets, and several smaller works. But in 1952, Rota's quiet life as a classical musician changed when he teamed with director Frederico Fellini on the film "The White Sheik." From that point until his death in 1979, Rota wrote the music for all Fellini's films, as well as for a host of other film and theater directors. In 1975 Rota won the Oscar for best music for his work on "The Godfather." [show less]