'Mission: Impossible' composer Lalo Schifrin passes away at 93; fans pour in tributes for the Grammy winner
Grammy-winning composer Lalo Schifrin, best known for the thrilling 'Mission: Impossible' theme, has passed away at the age of 93. As reported by Variety, the legendary Argentine musician's demise was due to complications from pneumonia.
Lalo Schifrin was one of the first to mix a wide range of musical ideas—from jazz and rock to complex orchestral sounds—into scores for film and TV. His creative style brought new life to Hollywood music, especially during the 1960s and 70s, when he produced many unforgettable soundtracks. His work during this time became a benchmark for movie music. The energy and emotion in his scores helped bring stories to life on screen, making him a favourite among filmmakers and audiences alike.
The iconic 'Mission: Impossible' theme
Of all his creations, the theme for 'Mission: Impossible' is perhaps his most famous. It won him two of his five Grammy Awards and earned three of his four Emmy nominations. The exciting theme became even more popular when it was used in the eight Tom Cruise-led 'Mission' films starting in 1996.
The first 'Mission: Impossible' soundtrack album, released in 1968, was a big hit and even made it to number 41 on the Billboard pop charts.
Schifrin's thrilling score brought a new level of excitement to spy stories and action films.
Many Oscar nominations, one honorary win
According to Variety, Schifrin was nominated six times for an Oscar. These included best score nods for 'Cool Hand Luke' (1967), 'The Fox' (1968), 'Voyage of the Damned' (1976), 'The Amityville Horror' (1979), and 'The Sting II' (1983). He also received a best-song nomination for 'The Competition' (1980).
In November 2018, Schifrin received a special honour—an Honorary Oscar from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. He became only the third composer ever to be given this award.
A rich career in television
Schifrin didn't just shine in cinema—his music also played a big part in television. As reported by Variety, he composed music for more than 40 TV films and miniseries. These included the 1966 thriller 'Doomsday Flight', about a man who plants a bomb on a plane, and 1980s and 90s hits like 'Princess Daisy', 'A.D.',
'Out on a Limb', 'A Woman Named Jackie' and 'Don Quixote'.
He also created themes for several TV shows, including 'Blue Light', 'The Young Lawyers', 'Planet of the Apes', 'Bronk' and 'Glitter'. His scores brought a strong emotional tone to each project, adding depth and drama to the stories.
Tributes Pour in from fans
Following news of Schifrin's demise, fans took to social media to express their sorrow and admiration.
Schifrin's last major work was a heartfelt nod to his homeland. He teamed up with fellow Argentine composer Rod Schejtman to create Long Live Freedom, a 35-minute symphony dedicated to Argentina. The piece made its debut on April 5 at the famous Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires, reported Variety.
He is survived by his wife, Donna, and three children—William (and wife Lissa), Frances (and husband John Newcombe), and Ryan (and wife Theresa)—along with four grandchildren.
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Lalo Schifrin, the Argentine composer best known for the catchy theme tune of Mission: Impossible, has died at the age of 93. The composer passed away on Thursday at his home in Los Angeles. AP quoted the composer's son, Ryan, saying that he died due to complications from pneumonia and was surrounded by his family. Argentinian composer Lalo Schifrin accepts an honorary Oscar at the 10th Annual Governors Awards gala on November 18, 2018. (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP)(AFP) Born Boris Claudio Schifrin to a Jewish family in Buenos Aires — where his father was the concertmaster of the philharmonic orchestra — Schifrin was classically trained in music, in addition to studying law. While best known for the Mission: Impossible theme song, Lalo Schifrin composed more than 100 other arrangements for film and television. Over the course of a career that spanned several decades, Schifrin won four Grammys and was nominated for six Oscars, including five for original score for Cool Hand Luke, The Fox, Voyage of the Damned, The Amityville Horror and The Sting II. He also wrote the grand finale musical performance for the FIFA World Cup in Italy in 1990. This marked the first joint performance of the Three Tenors — Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras — three of Italy's most iconic musicians. The work became one of the biggest sellers in the history of classical music. The Mission: Impossible theme Lalo Schifrin was originally a jazz pianist and classical conductor. He had a remarkable career in music that included working with Dizzy Gillespie and recording with Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan. But perhaps his biggest contribution came outside of classical music in the form of the instantly recognisable score, the theme of the 1960s TV show, Mission: Impossible. The series made the theme an iconic piece of music. When the just-wrapped, decades-spanning feature film franchise led by Tom Cruise was spun off, the theme was retained. Written in the unusual 5/4 time signature, the theme was described as 'only the most contagious tune ever heard by mortal ears' by New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane and even hit No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968. 'The producer called me and told me, 'You're going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and it's going to start with a fuse,'' Schifrin told the AP in 2006. 'So I did it, and there was nothing on the screen. And maybe the fact that I was so free and I had no images to catch, maybe that's why this thing has become so successful, because I wrote something that came from inside me.' When director Brian De Palma was asked to take the series to the silver screen in the mid-90s, he wanted to bring the theme along with him. However, composer John Williams wanted to work with a new theme of his own. Williams left, and Danny Elfman came in, who agreed to retain Schifrin's music. In 2017, the theme was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Schifrin is survived by his sons, Ryan and William, daughter, Frances, and wife, Donna. (With AP inputs)
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