“Not a Symphony on Its Own”: Creative Patterns in the Collaboration between Francesco Rosi and Piero Piccioni

The chapter delves into the long-lasting partnership between film director Francesco Rosi and composer Piero Piccioni. Their professional relationship spanned three decades and yielded 13 films, including Salvatore Giuliano (1962), Le mani sulla città (Hands over the City, 1963) and Il caso Mattei (The Mattei Affair, 1972). By investigating the personal archives and statements of the director and composer, the chapter uncovers the collaborative patterns that underpin the creation of the soundtracks for Rosi’s films. Piccioni’s role extends beyond traditional scoring to encompass compiling and sound design. The analyses detail how music and sound contribute to storytelling in Rosi’s films and prepare the ground for a new understanding of composing for the films as a cluster of diverse skills as deployed by Piccioni and other influential figures in the production chain.