Lalo Schifrin is dead: "Mission: Impossible" composer died at 93

Los Angeles. - His name has certainly been familiar to many film and television viewers since the 1960s – but even those who don't immediately recognize Lalo Schifrin probably still know his music today. Schifrin's piece for "Mission: Impossible," in particular, is one of the immortal theme songs in TV and cinema history. His music for film classics such as "Bullitt" and "The Man with the Death Claw" or the television series "Starsky & Hutch" is also cult. Now the renowned Argentinian composer has died at the age of 93, as his sons Ryan and William confirmed to the US magazines "Deadline" and "Variety."

Schifrin wrote his most famous piece under rather unusual circumstances. He first composed the accompanying music for the TV series "Mission: Impossible," which aired in the US from 1966 and later aired on German television under the title "Kobra, nehmen Sie." He was then asked to provide the music for the opening credits, albeit without having seen them beforehand.

"You have to write the notes without anything on the screen," Schifrin said in an interview with the Television Academy. "We'll go with your music. Give us something rhythmic." And rhythmic it was. The music, in the highly unusual 5/4 time signature, sounded exciting and perfectly suited the atmosphere of the stories of espionage, covert operations, and the constant race against time. Schifrin received a Grammy for his soundtrack. The iconic intro became known as a piece of music beyond the series.

Lalo was actually his nickname. He was born Boris Claudio Schifrin on June 21, 1932, in Buenos Aires. His musical development began at a young age on the piano. His piano teacher was Enrique Barenboim, the father of pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim. Schifrin's father, Luis, was a violinist and had excellent contacts in the world of classical music, from which the young Lalo benefited.

In college, he also discovered jazz. "And since then, I've devoted myself to both forms of expression," he told Jazz Professional magazine in 1967. "There's nothing schizophrenic about it. People don't understand that good music is a whole. I don't differentiate between jazz and classical music. Whether it's musically good is the only thing that matters." The combination of styles shaped his work. He made classical motifs accessible to a mainstream audience and brought jazz rhythms to the cinema.

Initially, jazz had a significant influence on his subsequent career. After studying sociology, Schifrin received a scholarship to the Paris Conservatoire in his early 20s. He studied composition there during the day and played in the jazz clubs of the French capital by night. Back in Buenos Aires, he founded a jazz orchestra with which he performed weekly on a TV show.

An encounter with jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie proved groundbreaking for his future career. He first composed the album "Gillespiana" for Gillespie, on which he also played piano. A few years later, Gillespie invited him to join his quintet as a pianist. Schifrin moved to New York City in the early 1960s and made a name for himself in the USA – playing jazz and also bossa nova. He later became an American citizen.

The Argentinian had occasionally appeared in films in his homeland. His first Hollywood engagement was the adventure film "Rhino!", which had the lurid title "Safari to Hell" in Germany and was released in 1964. That same year, he composed the music for three more films, including the US TV movie "See How They Run" with Senta Berger and the French drama "Like Big Cats" with Alain Delon, as well as episodes of TV series. From New York, he moved to the film capital of Los Angeles.

The online film database IMDb currently lists over 200 soundtracks by Lalo Schifrin. Particularly famous are his relaxed, jazzy music for the Steve McQueen classic "Bullitt" (1968), the almost oppressive accompaniment for Clint Eastwood's thriller "Dirty Harry" (1971) and several sequels, and the atmospheric soundtrack for "The Man with the Death Claw" (1973). For the cult film starring Bruce Lee, Schifrin ventured into new territory, combining elements of funk with Asian sounds and samples.

In later years, the composer was responsible for the soundtracks to the "Rush Hour" series starring Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, among others, and produced music for several smaller or independent productions. His iconic melody for "Mission: Impossible" has remained ever-present, especially since it has been regularly heard in cinemas since 1996 thanks to the Hollywood blockbusters starring Tom Cruise, arranged by modern film composers such as Danny Elfman and Hans Zimmer.

Lalo Schifrin has received a total of five Grammys, including a Latin Grammy. He has been nominated for four Emmys and six Oscars. In the fall of 2018, he received an honorary Oscar for lifetime achievement. In an interview with the Television Academy, which awards the Emmys annually, Schifrin was asked what he would like to be remembered for after his death. "That's not my problem," the musician replied. "That's for future generations to decide."

RND/dpa