JOIN USHow the iconic ‘Godfather’ theme music was born
Sangita Reddy and Sharmila Ray are top personalities in the fields of healthcare and academics. Sangita looks with an eyebrow twitch at the distant silhouette. Singing ‘Speak softly love’ in her mind, she derives inspiration for widening her sphere in healthcare to the hilt. Sharmila flashes her loving smile as she shifts from poetry to penning non-fiction, all along humming ‘Speak softly love’.
The theme music of ‘Godfather I’ is now legion. When Francis Ford Coppola scripted the Mario Puzo mafia saga for the silver screen, he decided to add a romantic touch to the otherwise tale of violence and revenge. His earlier scripts of ‘Is Paris Burning’ and ‘Patton’ did not permit romantic angles.
To highlight the romance of the characters Michael Corleone and Appollonia in Italy, he signed Italian composer Nino Rota to compose for ‘Godfather I’. An iconic Western classical maestro, Rota wasn’t interested initially. After a lot of persuasion by the seasoned writer, director, Rota virtually agreed.
Their combination created cinematic and musical wonders. ‘Speak softly love’ was penned and recorded in five takes. On the floor, Rota permitted violins, cellos, English flutes and oboes. He spent two weeks composing the theme on the grand piano. The song was rendered by Andy William sonorously. It was an instant super hit.
The film only had the use of the song via background music. The beauty of the mountains, clear blue sky romancing white clouds and nature in full bloom framed a picturesque backdrop for the music. Al Pacino, who performed the character of Michael Corleone, later confessed the music inspired him to enact one of his truly memorable love scenes.
‘Speak softly love’ literally created musical history after the legendary ‘Somewhere my love’, theme music of ‘Dr. Zhivago’ (1965). Paying rich compliments to Rota, his French competitor, the evergreen Maurice Jarre, termed ‘Speak softly love’ a sublime composition. John Barry stated he could never create such musical history. So fascinated was Francis Ford Coppola with the tune that he had tears of joy. Four decades later, the Danish Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by a brilliant South East Asian lady composer, enthralled countless listeners as they performed in many countries across the world.
‘Speak softly love’ is not just a sweet, sentimental piece of music. It highlighted romance with a practiced dream enhancing the theory of love. Though not like Dean Martin and Pat Boone, Andy William attained peaks of glory singling the lilt oriented number.
Steven Spielberg once asked Francis Ford Coppola in the 80’s, why he was not creating another musical legend like ‘Speak softly love’. To this, the creator of ‘Godfather’ replied that the essence of romance was dying a slow death. He also did agree that the famous ‘Godfather I’ tune was not an escape from reality. It was rooted in romanticism with practical dreams.
No wonder, Sangita Reddy smiles affectionately at the mention of the song. Sharmila remembers how her first and only romance blossomed with her arts teacher in 1974, when the music track was released. Countless like them from different walks of life swear love by ‘Speak softly love’ like them even today.