Piero Piccioni | Artist
Piero Piccioni was an Italian jazz musician, film score composer and lawyer born 1921 in Turin, Italy. Piccioni was one of Italy's greatest film soundtrack composers, at a golden period of Italy's film industry. He was sought out for his atmospheric jazz-tinged soundtracks by prominent directors such as Luchino Visconti, Bernardo Bertolucci, Roberto Rossellini, Vittorio De Sica, Lina Wertmuller and Alberto Sordi. As a child Piccioni listened to the jazz sounds of Art Tatum and Charlie Parker and studied at the Conservatorio Luigi Cherubini music academy in Florence. Besides being a musician, Piccioni also studied Law and became a practicing lawyer. It was as a film industry lawyer working in Rome, securing movie rights for Italian producers such as De Laurentiis, when Piccioni become involved in scoring background music as a sideline interest. He was influenced by the jazz of 20th century classical composers and American film music, particularly the scores of Alex North. He developed close-knit working relationships with directors Francesco Rosi and Alberto Sordi, and established strong personal and professional bonds with them. Piccioni's first popular work was for the exotic 1960 Luigi Vanzi documentary film Il Mondo di Notte (The World at Night) which focuses on some of the most famous nightclubs in the world, filming stripteases, illusionism, cabaret and contortionism shows. He graduated to more mainstream fare with outstanding releases such as The 10th Victim (1966), Le streghe (1966), Fumo di Londra (1966), Amore mio, aiutami (1969), Scacco alla regina (1969), Camille 2000 (1969), Colpo rovente (1970), Il dio sotto la pelle (1972), and Appassionata (1974). Also highly recommended is the 2021 compilation A Modern Gentleman. In total, Piccioni is credited over 300 soundtracks and compositions for radio, television, ballets and orchestra. Prestigious prizes for his work include the David di Donatello Award for the movie Swept Away (1975), Nastro d’argento Award for the movie Salvatore Gioliano by Francesco Rosi (1963), Prix International Lumière 1991, Anna Magnani Award 1975 and Vittorio De Sica Award 1979. In society Piccioni moved in elite circles with his film connections and his father Attilio Piccioni, who was Italy's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs during the 1960's. Piccioni junior was also the lover Alida Valli, an Italian actress who appeared in more than 100 films and was once called "the most beautiful woman in the world" by fascist leader Benito Mussolini. As a matter of interest Piccioni's song "Traffic Boom" was featured in the fictional Logjammin' movie-within-a-movie in the film The Big Lebowski.
Artist Website: wikipedia./Piero_Piccioni
Featured Albums: Piero Piccioni
Related Artists: Piero Morgan
