Composer Maurice Jarre Dies, Aged 84
 

French composer Maurice Jarre, best known for his music on classic Hollywood films, has died in Los Angeles at the age of 84.

Jarre, who had been suffering from cancer, rose to prominence relatively late in life. His breakthrough came in 1962 when he wrote the score for Lawrence of Arabia, for he was awarded an Oscar. He won two further Oscars for Doctor Zhivago and A Passage to India, and composed music for more than 150 films.

His scores enhanced the work of some of the film industry's greatest directors - among others David Lean, Alfred Hitchcock, John Huston and Luchino Visconti.

He also wrote symphonic music for theatre, ballet and television, including the 1970s mini-series Jesus of Nazarath. Jarre, who moved to the US in the 1960s, was married four times and is the father of Jean-Michel Jarre, a pioneer of electronic music.

One of his final public appearances was at the Berlin International Film Festival in February, where he received a lifetime achievement award. At the time, festival director Dieter Kosslick paid tribute to Jarre saying: "Film composers often are in the shadows of great directors and acting stars. "It's different with Maurice Jarre - the music of Doctor Zhivago, like much of his work, is world-famous and remains unforgettable in cinema history."

BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Film composer Maurice Jarre dies

Other well-known works include Witness, Ryan's Daughter, Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome, Ghost, The Mosquito Coast, Crossed Swords, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, The Professionals and The Longest Day.

Oh SHIT. ;____;

My Grade 12 history teacher is a huge fan of Jarre's music, though I have no idea how he'll react when he either hears about this or I tell him about this news.

I had just recently ripped his Doctor Zhivago score as well, I suppose I'll give it a spin next; the only other score of his that I've heard is Almost An Angel. I haven't heard any of his other works. Intrada did a great service to him recently by releasing the Fires Within soundtrack, although limited to 1000 copies.

Rest in peace, Maurice Jarre. You will be missed.

Okay... I recently gave a couple of really close listens through Jarre's Doctor Zhivago soundtrack. You people ought to go out and buy this shit. Or at least sample it if you can't buy it because you blew all your cash on something not as rich or evocative or musically memorable. But yeah, it's better if you bought it, as it's some of the greatest compositions to come out of a movie, ever.

Hit up Amazon or eBay or Screen Archives Entertainment or SOMETHING and do yourself a favor and ORDER IT RIGHT GOD DAMN NOW. Oh, and do get the 45-track Rhino CD as any other pressing does not contain all of the music and is therefore inferior.

Look, I'll even post a sound clip in the hopes of convincing you, because you can go throw yourself in a ravine and die otherwise.

Track 01 - Overture (04:24)
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