Teorema [Original Soundtrack]

The Westerns he scored gave him renown, but Morricone’s work could find modes of expression just about anywhere given the right inspiration — including a controversial avant-garde sexual thriller from director Pier Paolo Pasolini. While the official soundtrack release features only an EP’s worth of Morricone compositions — the other half is taken up by a series of Mozart compositions also used in the film — the five pieces he contributes are among his most stunning, drawing from his interest in free-improv music and driven by the film’s psychological intensity to mint some of his most harrowing works (“Teorema”; “Frammenti”) alongside of some deceptively groovy contemporary music (“Beat n. 3”; “Fruscio di foglie verdi”) that holds its own as a fine example of late ’60s beat pop.