Sergio Leone’s Once upon a time in the West benefits once again from Ennio Morricone's inspirational compositions. The conductor makes use of certain ingredients that were used in previous Leone westerns, namely his archetypal use of timbres. The deliberate use of the identifiable leitmotivs for each of the main characters (the common theme for Frank and Harmonic, united in their vengeance, that of Jill interpreted by the magical voice of Edda dell’Orso, and that of Cheyenne) struck viewers’ imaginations and worked to cement the melodies into collective memory. From only three notes (E, C, D#), Morricone developed one of the most famous themes in the history of cinema, The Man with the Harmonica, played initially on electric guitar by Bruno Battisti d’amaris, then sung by choirs and played by string orchestras. The other tour de force of the soundtrack is the romantic theme associated with Jill (Titoli). Not only does this music give great importance to a female character (something rare in a Western), but it also carries a nostalgic feeling of the old American West. © Nicolas Magenham/Qobuz