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WestMichRad

(2,378 posts)
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 10:22 PM Thursday

Lalo Schifrin, composer of Mission: Impossible theme and more than 100 film and TV scores, dies aged 93

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/jun/27/lalo-schifrin-dies-aged-93-composer-dead-mission-impossible-theme

Bummer. The Mission: Impossible theme is an all-time favorite of mine.



The Argentinian 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 World Cup championship in Italy in 1990, in which the Three Tenors – Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and José Carreras – sang together for the first time. The work became one of the biggest sellers in the history of classical music.

Schifrin, also a jazz pianist and classical conductor, had a remarkable career in music that included working with Dizzy Gillespie and recording with Ella Fitzgerald, Count Basie and Sarah Vaughan.

Schifrin’s 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’s Glendale Symphony Orchestra and served in that capacity from 1989-1995.

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Lalo Schifrin, composer of Mission: Impossible theme and more than 100 film and TV scores, dies aged 93 (Original Post) WestMichRad Thursday OP
He made his mark on music history PJMcK Thursday #1
playing the Mission Impossible theme in my head, he was amazing! RIP Shellback Squid Thursday #2
just figured out what 5/4 time is, the tempo Shellback Squid Thursday #3
Back in the day, kids loved the MI theme! IzzaNuDay Friday #4
This might be internet lore but... progressoid Friday #5
Every time I turn off the a/c at work to go home it plays a chime. iscooterliberally Friday #6

PJMcK

(23,867 posts)
1. He made his mark on music history
Thu Jun 26, 2025, 10:26 PM
Thursday

I met him once at an industry event. When I asked him how he decided to write the Mission: Impossible theme in 5/4 time, he smiled and said, "Why not?"

Brilliant.

RIP

IzzaNuDay

(989 posts)
4. Back in the day, kids loved the MI theme!
Fri Jun 27, 2025, 12:56 AM
Friday

Marching bands Starting out with the thundering trill, the drumline bopping to 5/4, and the brass and winds hammering out the melody. It was a revelation to this child not every time signature had to be 2/4, 3/4 or 4/4!

progressoid

(51,526 posts)
5. This might be internet lore but...
Fri Jun 27, 2025, 01:17 AM
Friday

I saw some guy on FB say that he was a fan of Morse code.

If you think of the Mission Impossible theme as two slower beats then two fast (dash dash dot dot) that's M I in Morse Code.

iscooterliberally

(3,097 posts)
6. Every time I turn off the a/c at work to go home it plays a chime.
Fri Jun 27, 2025, 05:40 AM
Friday

The chime sounds exactly like part of the MI theme and I always have it playing in my head when I walk out the door to head home. It's a 30 mile commute up I95 in south Florida so it's perfect. RIP Lalo Schifrin.

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