Ennio Morricone is undoubtedly one of the most important composers of the twentieth century. That is all the more remarkable, since very few composers have yet to achieve this status composing music for films. Recorded in Rome in 1998, Ennio Morricone conducts Morricone - His Greatest Hits came about as the result of a happy encounter. "Some years ago, Bruno Cagli, the superintendent of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia had asked me if I would do a concert of my film music at the Accademia," the composer recalled recently. "I agreed, provided that I'd be allowed to use their fine musicians." With so many themes to choose from, final selection proved a daunting task. As Morricone explains, "I finally zeroed in on the themes that I thought the public loved the best." This album proves a fine tribute to one of the best film composers of the twentieth century. With more than three hundred scores to his credit, in recent years Morricone has taken to writing more selectively for the screen. He may appear frequently in concert; but it is largely to perform selections from his most famous scores, as this recording demonstrates.