Ennio Morricone shares stories from some of his most famous scores

Here, he tells EW the tales behind some of his most memorable work.

So he signed on forEight, marking his first return to Westerns in decades.

Some directors wanted me to just do once again what they have already [heard], he says.

But he trusted me so much, he had no special requests of what he wanted or expected.

In the end, he was absolutely right, the composer says.

Celebratory music is a rare mode for Morricone, who favors more hypnotic, moody creations.

The Mission, 1986

Filmmaker Roland Joffe would become another of his longtime collaborators.

His films are very, very strong and relevant from a moral point of view, he says.

This has always impressed me.

My main concern, he says, is to hey the director or serve the message of the film.

I never think about the success that may come after.

I cannot speak about it because Im not ready yet to disclose everything.

But I am thinking about something completely new.