# Francesco De Masi

Francesco De Masi (11 January 1930 – 6 November 2005) was an Italian conductor and film score composer.

## Biography

He studied composition at the San Pietro a Maiella Conservatory in Naples under the guidance of Achille Longo, his uncle. De Masi became interested in film music when Longo was asked to compose a soundtrack for a film, and he asked De Masi to be his assistant. De Masi's filmography includes scores for over 200 films and TV series, ranging from Spaghetti Westerns and sword and sandal epics to gialli and horror films, such as Lucio Fulci's Lo squartatore di New York (The New York Ripper).
De Masi also scored several action films, such as Enzo G. Castellari's Quel maledetto treno blindato (The Inglorious Bastards), but he is best remembered for his work on Spaghetti Westerns. Unlike most other composers, De Masi started writing western scores slightly earlier than the genre's most influential musician, Ennio Morricone. As De Masi's music was less influenced by Morricone, his style had a distinctive sound. Many of his songs were performed by the low-voiced member of the I Cantori Moderni choir, Ettore "Raoul" Lovecchio.
De Masi was also very interested in classical music. He taught at the Santa Cecilia Conservatory, also conducting the conservatory's orchestra. In an interview, De Masi listed Palestrina, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Ravel and Shostakovich as his main classical influences.
De Masi died of cancer at the age of 75.

## Selected filmography

| Year | Film | Directed by | Singles | Latest CD / Digital Release |
| 1962 | Toto vs. Maciste | Fernando Cerchio | | Digitmovies / DGST027 / 2017 |
| 1962 | The Carpet of Horror [de] | Harald Reinl | | Saimel / 3998956 / 2020 |
| 1962 | Colossus of the Arena | Michele Lupo | | |
| 1962 | Tiko and the Shark | Folco Quilici | | Beat Records Company / BCM 9537 / 2014 |
| 1963 | The ghost | Riccardo Freda | | Digitmovies / CDDM122 / 2008 |
| 1963 | Hercules the Invincible | Alvaro Mancori, Lewis Mann | | |
| 1963 | The Sign of the Coyote | Mario Caiano | | |
| 1963 | Goliath and the Sins of Babylon | Michele Lupo | | Digitmovies / CDDM234 / 2013 |
| 1964 | Man of the Cursed Valley | Siro Marcellini, Primo Zeglio | | Beat Records / CDCR149 / 2023 |
| 1964 | Maciste in King Solomon's Mines | Piero Regnoli | | |
| 1964 | The Lion of Thebes | Giorgio Ferroni | | |
| 1964 | Seven Slaves Against the World | Michele Lupo | | |
| 1964 | The Revenge of Spartacus | Michele Lupo | | |
| 1964 | Massacre at Marble City | Paul Martin (director) | | |
| 1965 | Seven Rebel Gladiators | Michele Lupo | | |
| 1965 | Mutiny in the South Seas | Wolfgang Becker | | Beat Records / BCM9555 / 2015 |
| 1965 | Serenade for Two Spies | Michael Pfleghar, Alberto Cardone | | Beat Records / BCM 9552 / 2014 |
| 1965 | Desperate Mission (1965 film) | Roberto Bianchi Montero | | |
| 1965 | A Coffin for the Sheriff | Mario Caiano | | Beat Records / CDCR 95 / 2011 |
| 1966 | Seven Dollars on the Red | Alberto Cardone, Melchiade Coletti | | Beat Records / CDCR121 / 2012 |
| 1966 | The Murder Clinic | Elio Scardamaglia | | Digitmovies / CDDM122 / 2008 |
| 1966 | FBI Operation Yellow Viper | Alfredo Medori, Wolfgang Schleif | | Beat Records / BCM 9546 / 2014 |
| 1966 | An Angel for Satan | Camillo Mastrocinque | | |
| 1966 | The Third Eye | Mino Guerrini | | |
| 1966 | Ringo, the Mark of Vengeance | Mario Caiano | | GDM / GDM 2060 / 2005 |
| 1966 | Arizona Colt | Michele Lupo | | Beat Records / CDCR 96 / 2012 |
| 1966 | Alla scoperta dell'Africa (TV Movie) | Folco Quilici | | Beat Records / BCM 9547 / 2015 |
| 1966 | India (TV Movie) | Folco Quilici | | Cometa Edizioni Musicali / CMT 10028-10029 / 2012 |
| 1967 | Two Crosses at Danger Pass | Rafael Romero Marchent | | |
| 1967 | Seven Pistols for a Massacre | Mario Caiano | | |
| 1967 | Any Gun Can Play | Enzo G. Castellari | | Beat Records / CDCR 91 / 2011 |
| 1967 | Your Turn to Die | Michele Lupo | | Digitmovies / CDDM024 / 2004 |
| 1968 | Johnny Hamlet | Enzo G. Castellari | | |
| 1968 | Seven Winchesters for a Massacre | Enzo G. Castellari | | |
| 1968 | The Moment to Kill | Giuliano Carmineo | | |
| 1968 | A Taste of Death | Sergio Merolle | | |
| 1968 | Kill Them All and Come Back Alone | Enzo G. Castellari | | Beat Records / CDCR 92 / 2011 |
| 1969 | Lesbo | Edoardo Mulargia | | Beat Records / CDCR 99 / 2010 |
| 1969 | Eagles Over London | Enzo G. Castellari | Ariete / AR 8008: La Battaglia D'Inghilterra / Tema Di Meg | Beat Records / CDCR 62 / 2002 |
| 1970 | Una storia d'amore (1969 film) | Michele Lupo | | Beat Records / BCM 9553 / 2015 |
| 1970 | Sartana's Here… Trade Your Pistol for a Coffin | Giuliano Carnimeo | | |
| 1970 | The Weekend Murders | Michele Lupo | | Beat Records / BCM9512 / 2013 |
| 1971 | Terrible Day of the Big Gundown | Sergio Garrone | | |
| 1971 | FBI Operation Pakistan | Harald Reinl | | Beat Records / BCM9542 / 2015 |
| 1971 | African Story | Marino Girolami | | Digitmovies / CDDM169 / 2010 |
| 1972 | The Weapon, the Hour & the Motive | Francesco Mazzei | | |
| 1972 | Crime Boss (film) | Alberto De Martino | | Beat Records / CDCR 139 / 2018 |
| 1972 | The House of the Doves | Claudio Guerin | | |
| 1972 | Hector the Mighty | Enzo G. Castellari | | Beat Records / CDCR 111 / 2011 |
| 1973 | The Big Game (1973 film) | Robert Day | | Chris' Soundtrack Corner / CSC001 / 2007 |
| 1973 | The Hanging Woman | José Luis Merino | | |
| 1973 | Bawdy Tales | Sergio Citti | | |
| 1974 | The Arena | Steve Carver, Michael Wotruba | | |
| 1975 | Private Vices, Public Virtues | Miklós Jancsó | | |
| 1977 | Nazi Love Camp 27 | Mario Caiano | | |
| 1977 | Weapons of Death | Mario Caiano | | Beat Records / CDCR 83 / 2007 |
| 1977 | Kid Vengeance | Joseph Manduke | | |
| 1978 | The Inglorious Bastards | Enzo G. Castellari | | |
| 1980 | The European Man | Folco Quilici | | Kronos Records / KRONGOLD038 / 2020 |
| 1982 | The New York Ripper | Lucio Fulci | | Beat Records / CDCR154 / 2024 |
| 1982 | Invaders of the Lost Gold | Alan Birkinshaw | | |
| 1983 | Rush (1983 film) | Tonino Ricci | | |
| 1983 | Thor the Conqueror | Tonino Ricci | | |
| 1983 | Lone Wolf McQuade | Steve Carver | | Beat Records / CDCR 26 / 1995 |
| 1983 | Escape from the Bronx | Enzo G. Castellari | | Beat Records / CDCR146 / 2021 |
| 1983 | Thunder Warrior | Fabrizio De Angelis | | Beat Records / CDCR 87 / 2008 |
| 1984 | Mad Dog | Fabrizio De Angelis | | Kronos Records / KRONCD009 / 2012 |
| 1985 | Formula for a Murder | Alberto De Martino | | Beat Records / CDCR 29 / 1996 |
| 1986 | Operation Nam | Fabrizio De Angelis | | |
| 1988 | Thunder Warrior III | Fabrizio De Angelis | | Beat Records / CDCR 87 / 2008 |
| 1989 | Mortacci (Death to You) | Sergio Citti | | |