by 
The American-Argentinian composer Lalo Schifrin died Thursday, June 26 at 93. We owed him the theme full of suspense of “Mission: Impossible” or the original bands of “Bullitt” or “Inspector Harry”.
Lalo Schifrin, renowned pianist, composer of the mission theme: Impossible and BO of Bullitt or Inspector Harry died Thursday, June 26, at 93, following pneumonia. It was his sons Will and Ryan Schifrin who announced the sad news to American media, taken up by AFP (via The world).
Born Boris Claudio Shirfrin on June 21, 1932, Lalo Schifrin grew up in Argentina, bathed in music: his father is a professional violinist and concert master of the Philharmonic Orchestra of Buenos Aires.
Professional pianist and renowned conductor, he carried out his training in particular at the Paris Conservatory in the early 1950s. It was in Paris that Dizzy Gillespie notices him and brought him to the United States to become the pianist of his group.
The Mission series: Impossible
In 1958, he composed the music of the film Le chief of Fernando Ayala. It is for him the beginning of a great career in the composition of film music. In 1966, the theme of the series Mission: Impossible by Bruce Geller definitively installs it in the world of cinema. For this title in 1968, he received a Grammy Award for the best original music.
In 1987, he was chosen by the Paris Philharmonic Orchestra as a trainer of musicians for film music. He held the position of director of music there for 5 years and left him to give more time to his compositions.
Comfortable in all genres
In addition to his many creations of symphonies or concertos for piano, he composes the music of nearly 200 films including Luke La Main Froide (1967), che! (1969), Rush Hour and Rush Hour 2 (1998 and 2001) or Tango (1998). Horror (Thx 1138 Director's Cut in 1971) to romance (Little White Lies) via drama (the fox in 1967) and action (tank in 1984), it is present in virtually all genres. He collaborates in particular with Stuart Rosenberg (Amityville, La Maison du Diable) or Don Siegel on Inspector Harry.
In 2020, he composed again for the Norwegian film Lyst Fra Sjokoladefabrikken directed by Dag Johan Haugerud.
The Schifrin touch
A follower of eclecticism and abstraction, Schifrin signs his works with an alliance of jazz, baroque or jazz rock hitherto unprecedented. His great notoriety in the world of cinema has often been rewarded in particular at the Oscars where he receives six nominations for best music and the best original title. He is also nominated for Emmy Awards and the Golden Globe.
At the same time, its recognition extends worldwide. In 1995, for example, he was called to Marseille to direct the French Symphony Orchestra on the occasion of a commemoration of the invention of cinema by the Lights brothers.
Lalo Schifrin gave the cinema to two of his three children who become writers and directors. He also made up the music of Abomable (2006), film by his son Ryan Schifrin.
