Lalo Schifrin, the composer who wrote the endlessly catchy theme for 鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥 and more than 100 other arrangements for film and television, died Thursday. He was 93.
Schifrin鈥檚 son Ryan confirmed that Schifrin died due to complications from pneumonia. He died peacefully in his home in Los Angeles, surrounded by family.
The Argentine won four Grammys and was nominated for six Oscars, including five for original score for 鈥淐ool Hand Luke,鈥 鈥淭he Fox,鈥 鈥淰oyage of the Damned,鈥 鈥淭he Amityville Horror鈥 and 鈥淭he Sting II.鈥
鈥淓very movie has its own personality. There are no rules to write music for movies,鈥 Schifrin . 鈥淭he movie dictates what the music will be.鈥
He also wrote the grand finale musical performance for the World Cup championship in Italy in 1990, in which 鈥 Pl谩cido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jos茅 Carreras 鈥 sang together for the first time. The work became one of the biggest sellers in the history of classical music.
鈥楾he most contagious tune ever heard鈥
Schifrin, also a jazz pianist and classical conductor, 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 was the instantly recognizable score to television鈥檚 鈥淢ission: Impossible,鈥 which fueled the just-wrapped, decades-spanning
Written in the unusual 5/4 time signature, the theme 鈥 Dum-dum DUM DUM dum-dum DUM DUM 鈥 was married to an on-screen self-destruct clock that kicked off the TV show, which ran from 1966 to 1973. It was described as 鈥渙nly the most contagious tune ever heard by mortal ears鈥 by New Yorker film critic Anthony Lane and even hit No. 41 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1968.
Schifrin originally wrote a different piece of music for the theme song but series creator Bruce Geller liked another arrangement Schifrin had composed for an action sequence.
鈥淭he producer called me and told me, 鈥榊ou鈥檙e going to have to write something exciting, almost like a logo, something that will be a signature, and it鈥檚 going to start with a fuse,鈥欌 Schifrin told the AP in 2006. 鈥淪o 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鈥檚 why this thing has become so successful 鈥 because I wrote something that came from inside me.鈥
When director Brian De Palma was asked to take the series to the silver screen, he wanted to bring the theme along with him, leading to a creative conflict with who wanted to work with a new theme of his own. Out went Williams and in came who agreed to retain Schifrin鈥檚 music.
Hans Zimmer took over scoring for the second film, and Michael Giacchino scored the next two. Giacchino told NPR he was a hesitant to take it on, because Schifrin鈥檚 music was one of his favorite themes of all time.
鈥淚 remember calling Lalo and asking if we could meet for lunch,鈥 Giacchino told NPR. 鈥淎nd I was very nervous 鈥 I felt like someone asking a father if I could marry their daughter or something. And he said, 鈥楯ust have fun with it.鈥 And I did.鈥
鈥淢ission: Impossible鈥 won Grammys for best instrumental theme and best original score from a motion picture or a TV show. In 2017, the theme was entered into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
U2 members Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. covered the theme while making the soundtrack to 1996鈥檚 first installment; that version peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard 200 with a Grammy nomination.
depicted a young Schifrin composing the theme at his piano while gaining inspiration through sips of the brand鈥檚 Lipton Yellow Label. Musicians dropped from the sky as he added elements.
Early life filled with music
Born Boris Claudio Schifrin to a Jewish family in Buenos Aires 鈥 where his father was the concertmaster of the philharmonic orchestra 鈥 Schifrin was classically trained in music, in addition to studying law.
After studying at the Paris Conservatory 鈥 where he learned about harmony and composition from the legendary Olivier Messiaen 鈥 Schifrin returned to Argentina and formed a concert band. Gillespie heard Schifrin perform and asked him to become his pianist, arranger and composer. In 1958, Schifrin moved to the United States, playing in Gillespie鈥檚 quintet in 1960-62 and composing the acclaimed 鈥淕illespiana.鈥
The long list of luminaries he performed and recorded with includes Ella Fitzgerald, Stan Getz, Dee Dee Bridgewater and George Benson. He also worked with such classical stars as Zubin Mehta, Mstislav Rostropovich, Daniel Barenboim and others.
Schifrin moved easily between genres, winning a Grammy for 1965鈥檚 鈥淛azz Suite on the Mass Texts鈥 while also earning a nod that same year for the score of TV鈥檚 鈥淭he Man From U.N.C.L.E.鈥 In 2018, he was and, in 2017, the Latin Recording Academy bestowed on him one of its special trustee awards.
Later film scores included 鈥淭ango,鈥 鈥淩ush Hour鈥 and its two sequels, 鈥淏ringing Down The House,鈥 鈥淭he Bridge of San Luis Rey,鈥 鈥淎fter the Sunset鈥 and the horror film 鈥淎bominable.鈥
Writing the arrangements for Schifrin decided that the main character wasn鈥檛 in fact Clint Eastwood鈥檚 hero, Harry Callahan, but the villain, Scorpio.
鈥淵ou would think the composer would pay more attention to the hero. But in this case, no, I did it to Scorpio, the bad guy, the evil guy,鈥 he told the AP. 鈥淚 wrote a theme for Scorpio.鈥
It was Eastwood who handed him his honorary Oscar.
鈥淩eceiving this honorary Oscar is the culmination of a dream,鈥 Schifrin said at the time. 鈥淚t is mission accomplished.鈥
Beyond film and TV
Among Schifrin鈥檚 conducting credits include the London Symphony Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony Orchestra, the Israel Philharmonic, the Mexico Philharmonic, the Houston Symphony Orchestra, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. He was appointed music director of Southern California鈥檚 Glendale Symphony Orchestra and served in that capacity from 1989-1995. Schifrin also wrote and adapted the music for 鈥淐hristmas in Vienna鈥 in 1992, a concert featuring Diana Ross, Carreras and Domingo.
He also combined tango, folk and classical genres when he recorded 鈥淟etters from Argentina,鈥 nominated for a Latin Grammy for best tango album in 2006.
Schifrin was also commissioned to write the overture for the 1987 Pan American Games, and composed and conducted the event鈥檚 1995 final performance in Argentina.
And for perhaps one of the only operas performed in the ancient Indigenous language in 1988 Schifrin wrote and conducted the choral symphony 鈥淪ongs of the Aztecs.鈥 The work premiered at with Domingo as part of a campaign to raise money to restore the site鈥檚 Aztec temple.
鈥淚 found it to be a very sweet musical language, one in which the sounds of the words dictated interesting melodies,鈥 Schifrin told The Associated Press at the time. 鈥淏ut the real answer is that there鈥檚 something magic about it. ... There鈥檚 something magic in the art of music anyway.鈥
He's survived by his sons, Ryan and William, daughter, Frances, and wife, Donna.