On the footprints of Carpi and Morricone

Composer Fabio Massimo Capogrosso on reinterpreting the musical heritage of Fiorenzo Carpi’s Pinocchio for Francesca Comencini’s ‘Il tempo che ci vuole’ and collaborating with Marco Bellocchio.

Not everyone gets the chance to walk the red carpet at the Venice Film Festival just two years after making their debut in the film industry. It’s even rarer when you’re a composer of film scores. One could argue that Fabio Massimo Capogrosso is a newcomer to music for films, but that would be unfair. Hailing from Perugia and born in 1984, the composer has the training of a master and the instincts of a veteran, as evidenced by the prestigious collaborations he has secured since his debut in film music in 2022. Capogrosso has certainly entered the film world through the front door, having composed the score for Marco Bellocchio’s acclaimed feature film Esterno notte

Like another historic collaborator of the director, Ennio Morricone, Capogrosso found his place in cinema after a creative journey that began with orchestral training, which remains both his foundation and strength. Just like Morricone, who balanced the research of his Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza with film scores, Capogrosso navigates the constant tension between absolute music and the seventh art. 

The composer recently returned from Venice, where at the 89th Venice International Film Festival, two of his soundtracks were featured. His work was recognised by the prestigious Soundtrack Stars Award, which he received at the Lido in the Italian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. At the Lido, Capogrosso reaffirmed his artistic partnership with Bellocchio and CAM Sugar (which began with his score for Rapito), composing the music for the well-received short film Se posso permettermi. Capitolo II, and most notably, bringing to life the magic of Francesca Comencini’s Il tempo che ci vuole. The film, currently in cinemas, poignantly explores the relationship between a father (Luigi Comencini) and daughter (Francesca) both passionate about cinema, set against the generational clashes of Italy’s bloodshed Years of Lead. 

The film revisits the set of The Adventures of Pinocchio, the 1972 RAI series through which Luigi Comencini enchanted Italian audiences, bringing the escapism and magic of Collodi’s fairy tale to a dark and bloody moment in the nation’s history. 

In Francesca’s heartfelt tribute to her father’s iconic work, Capogrosso also pays homage to one of the key elements of the series’ multi-generational success: Fiorenzo Carpi’s music, part of the CAM catalogue, which played such a significant role in giving the famous puppet its sound.

Straddling the line between absolute music and the popular art of cinema, between CAM’s past and present, Fabio Massimo Capogrosso’s career seems imbued with a unique tension, making him one of the most prolific and intriguing composers in contemporary music. We caught up with him for an interview after the emotions of Venice. 

CAM Sugar Journal: Among the music you brought to Venice for the Biennale Cinema 2024 is the soundtrack for Il tempo che ci vuole by Francesca Comencini, which is available on all digital platforms this week, coinciding with the film’s release in cinemas. Francesca comes from an artistic family, and the film revolves around the father-daughter relationship, with both being devoted to the seventh art. How did you approach composing music to convey this feeling? 

Fabio Massimo Capogrosso: I approached this score with a great sense of humility because when an artist entrusts you with a project so intimate, personal, and courageous, I felt the best way to repay that trust was through my own art. Francesca was very clear about what she wanted and made me understand that the atmosphere needed to be both magical and intimate, yet playful, especially when the Pinocchio set is revisited. For me, it was a great opportunity to work on such a personal project, and I’m grateful to Francesca for thinking of me.

CSJ: Luigi Comencini’s The Adventures of Pinocchio made history in Italian cinema and popular culture, in part thanks to Fiorenzo Carpi’s music, also through CAM. Was the tribute to Carpi’s work your choice, or did it arise from discussions with Francesca? What elements did you focus on in this homage? 

FMC: The homage to Fiorenzo Carpi was my idea, which I proposed to Francesca, and she embraced it enthusiastically. She needed a somewhat cacophonous piece of music for the scenes on the Pinocchio set. For example, the initial bass drum and cymbals you hear in the track “Il paese dei balocchi” were her request. The idea was then to take two small but very recognisable motifs from Carpi’s Pinocchio, the minor third and the response phrase that follows, and weave them throughout the piece. Beyond these quotations, it’s a complex piece from an orchestral and contrapuntal perspective. I consider it one of the most representative compositions in the soundtrack. It was important to me because it creates a bridge to a monument of past music like Carpi.

CSJ: The soundtrack alternates between intimate, sweet moments and others that are more enigmatic, where you work through subtraction. These latter moments evoke the atmosphere of the Years of Lead, in which the film is set, and also call to mind, on one hand, some of your earlier work for Marco Bellocchio, such as Esterno notte, but also a Morricone-like quality, another of the director’s great musical collaborations. How did your professional relationship with Bellocchio develop? 

FMC: My relationship with Marco Bellocchio developed after he heard some of my compositions of what Morricone called absolute music, and he found in them a power and drama that he thought would work well for Esterno notte. That was my baptism as a film composer, and working with someone who is part of cinema history, with such a unique vision and sensitivity, was both a privilege and a huge responsibility.

CSJ: You then went on to work on the equally well-received Rapito, and now you’ve come to Venice with the original score for Se posso permettermi. Capitolo II. How did your approach to composing change for a short film? 

FMC: Since Se posso permettermi is a short film that Bellocchio was particularly passionate about, as often happens with these projects, there was a great deal of intimacy. You could feel it during the working process, and it was the same for me. I sensed a comic but also grotesque atmosphere, and as a result, I wrote the music spontaneously. He really liked it.

CSJ: Your central role in the contemporary music-for-film scene was recognised at the Soundtrack Stars Awards in Venice. In an era where we often see the use of pre-existing music, or where the interference of streaming platforms can limit the creative freedom of composers, how do you see the role of film composers today? 

FMC: Personally, I’m trying to uphold the values that have always driven me as a composer, which are writing in solitude and having a recognisable voice. I’m against music that involves multiple people in writing a single score because I believe authenticity and sincerity are the most important qualities for an artist. I think music should be the product of a singular vision, but I must thank my sound engineer Goffredo Gibellini, who I’ve always wanted by my side because he allows me to realise the ideas I have in mind.

CSJ: Your approach to composition echoes illustrious names from the past, like yourself, bridging the gap between pure music and cinema…

FMC: In this regard, Morricone is a role model for me because of his background in composition, orchestration, and counterpoint. These are fundamentals that cannot be overlooked. I could also mention Bernard Herrmann, Franco Piersanti, and Nicola Piovani: composers of absolute music who applied their studies to cinema, writing very important works. This is the direction I’m trying to pursue.

Opening image: Fabio Massimo Capogrosso is the composer of the soundtracks for ‘Il tempo che ci vuole’ and ‘Se posso permettermi. Capitolo II’ recently showcased at the 89th Venice Film Festival.