@Errikos said:
As far as Ennio, Johnny and Nino are concerned, these were guys that did not have access to symphonic forces a lot of the time back then, but were still able due to sheer talent to articulate so much with so little
This is something that makes me think about how limitations are very inspiring to creativity. Jean Renoir said that if he had no limitations, he wouldn't know where to begin. And yet everyone always tries to obtain no limitations. Perhaps in the future, when people have no limitations, they will just sit and think, "Yep, I could do that. No reason to, really. But I could."
Anyway, I also was thinking of some great scores of the past that had severe limitations on what was available, and this resulted in better scores than what you would hear from the most gigantic, unlimited ensemble possible. For example - Jerry Goldsmith on "Thriller" and the "Twilight Zone" - he used chamber scoring, and created classics that are better than almost anything he did later, except of course for Star Trek, which was where he was allowed anything he could dream up , and created a vast, majestic masterpiece. Or Roy Webb, on the Val Lewton series of films from the 40s. He could use only small string ensemble, four brass, one percussion and five woodwinds. So he had the woodwinds double different instruments, and used various chamber scoring effects to create some of the best music done in Hollywood movies at that time.
Anyway, it is important to use limitations, as they are often the mother of invention!
