Pino Donaggio

A versatile and highly prolific composer of the 1970s, 80s and 90s, Pino Donaggio has produced perhaps his most notable efforts in the suspense genre, particularly in his collaborations with Brian De Palma. His scores for "Carrie" (1976), "Dressed to Kill" (1980), "Blow Out" (1981), "Body Double" (1984) and "Raising Cain" (1992) enhanced both the mood and action of these films with vivid orchestrations that created a true sense of foreboding. In a departure from their norm together, the composer provided a neatly farcical score for the pro-am outing "Home Movies" (1979), constructed by De Palma and his Sarah Lawrence College students. There are many other directors with whom Donaggio has enjoyed repeat performances, but he has worked three times each with David Schmoeller, Liliana Cavani and Carlo Vanzina. The 70s and 80s found his music more frequently in US films, but since the advent of the 90s he has favored his Italian homeland, doing two movies there for every one in this country.