Gabriel's Oboe
AKA "Nella Fantasia"
Those of you who’ve read some of my work know that I use words to evoke emotion—or at least I try. It’s not for everyone, I understand. But for those who connect with it, I write for you.
So it should come as no surprise that I love grand, emotionally sweeping music. And nowhere is that better expressed than in film scores. Music stirs something in us, especially when paired with visual storytelling.
Take Out of Africa, for example. It became a phenomenon not because of its plot or performances, but because of its sweeping cinematography and the equally soaring John Barry score. “Flying Over Africa” is, in my opinion, one of the finest pieces in cinema.
Or Somewhere in Time, where Christopher Reeve and Jane Seymour deliver tender, heartbreaking performances—but the real emotional gut-punch comes from Barry’s theme, built as a complement to Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (itself based on a melody by the virtuosic Paganini).
But now I want to share with you my absolute favorite piece of music in all of film. If even one person discovers this movie—or this music—because of this post, I’ll feel I’ve done something worthwhile.
This is from The Mission (1986), starring Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons (with a young Liam Neeson, too). It tells the story of Jesuit missionaries reaching out to the Guarani people of South America.
Irons plays Father Gabriel, who ventures upriver into Guarani territory. He doesn’t speak their language, so he brings an oboe—using music as his first attempt at communication.
Ennio Morricone composed Gabriel’s Oboe after filming had wrapped. Irons pantomimed playing the oboe for the camera, and Morricone composed the melody by wathcingmatch his hand movements. The refrain—the very soul of the piece—was born from that pantomime.
Sarah Brightman (the original Christine in Phantom of the Opera) fell in love with the piece. She wrote to Morricone every month, asking for permission to set it to lyrics. Eventually, he agreed, and she created “Nella Fantasia.” Later, Hayley Westenra offered her own version, “Whispers on a Dream.” Westenra may have the more refined voice—but I find Brightman’s lyrics more moving.
Here it is. Press play, and let it fill the room as you read.
Really listen.
You’ll feel something.
If this is your first time hearing it—or discovering the film—let me know. I’d love to hear what it stirred in you.