Alessandro Cicognini (15 January 1906 – 9 November 1995)[1] was an Italian composer who is chiefly remembered for his film scores.
Born in Pescara, Cicognini graduated with a degree in music composition from the Milan Conservatory in 1927 where he was a pupil of Giulio Cesare Paribeni and Renzo Bossi.[1][2] In 1933 his opera, Donna Lombarda, inspired by a popular folk ballad, premiered at the Teatro Regio in Turin.[1] From then, with the exceptions of Messa a 5 voci and Saul, he focused his activities on composing musical scores for over 100 films, often collaborating with filmmakers Vittorio de Sica and Alessandro Blasetti.[2] Much of his film music makes use of small ensembles and unusual instrumentation, rather than the lush orchestral scores common to film music of the mid-20th century. His style has been described as late-romantic, and was characterized by immediacy and catchiness.[2] In 1965 he retired from film composition and became a teacher; one of his soundtracks, to the 1953 film Stazione Termini, was reused in What's Eating Gilbert Grape in 1993.
Cicognini died in Rome on 9 November 1995 at the age of 89.[3]