Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand (24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs. His scores for the films of French New Wave director Jacques Demy, The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), earned Legrand his first Academy Award nominations. Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968). Legrand was born in Paris to his father, Raymond Legrand, who was himself a conductor and composer, and his mother, Marcelle Ter-Mikaëlian, who was the sister of conductor Jacques Hélian. Raymond and Marcelle were married in 1929. His maternal grandfather was Armenian. Legrand composed more than two hundred film and television scores. He won three Oscars and five Grammys. He studied music at the Conservatoire de Paris from age 11, working with, among others, Nadia Boulanger and graduated with top honors as both a composer and a pianist. He burst upon the international music scene at 22 when his album I Love Paris (album) became a surprise hit. He established his name in the United States by working with such jazz stars as Miles Davis and Stan Getz. His sister Christiane Legrand was a member of The Swingle Singers and his niece Victoria Legrand is a member of the dream pop band Beach House. Legrand composed music for Jacques Demy's films The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), and appeared and performed in Agnès Varda's Cléo from 5 to 7 (1961). He also composed music for Joseph Losey's Eva (1962), The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) (which features "The Windmills of Your Mind"), Ice Station Zebra (1968), The Picasso Summer (1969), The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun (1970), The Go-Between (1971), Summer of '42 (1971), Clint Eastwood's Breezy (1973), The Three Musketeers (1973), Orson Welles's last-completed film F for Fake (1974) and would later compose the score for Welles's posthumously-released movie The Other Side of the Wind (2018). He also composed the score for Yentl (1983), as well as the film score for Louis Malle's film Atlantic City (1980). His instrumental version of the theme from Brian's Song charted 56th in 1972 on the Billboard's pop chart. Legrand died of sepsis, during the night of 25–26 January 2019, at the American Hospital of Paris in Neuilly-sur-Seine, where he had been hospitalized for two weeks for a pulmonary infection. His funeral was held in Paris at the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral on 1 February 2019. He was interred at the Père Lachaise Cemetery. He remained active until his death and had concerts scheduled to take place in the spring. In 1997, Legrand composed the score for the musical Le Passe-muraille, with a book by Didier Van Cauwelaert. It premiered on Broadway in 2002 as Amour and was translated into English by Jeremy Sams and was directed by James Lapine. This musical was his Broadway debut and he was nominated for a Tony Award in 2003 for Best Score. Later he recorded Legrand Affair with Melissa Errico, a 100-piece symphony orchestra that included songs with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. ... Source: Article "Michel Legrand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
as Jean (singing voice) (uncredited)This simple romantic tragedy begins in 1957. Guy Foucher, a 20-year-old French auto mechanic,...
Movie pageCléo from 5 to 7
as Bob, the PianistAgnès Varda eloquently captures Paris in the sixties with this real-time portrait of a singer...
Movie pageLove Lasts Three Years
as Michel LegrandA heartbroken literary critic turns his despair into creativity following a bitter divorce, only...
Movie pageThe Beaches of Agnès
as Self (archive footage)Filmmaking icon Agnès Varda, the award-winning director regarded by many as the grandmother of...
Movie pageThe Young Girls Turn 25
as SelfAgnes Varda's documentary of the celebrations arising from the 25th anniversary of her husband...
Movie pageThe World of Jacques Demy
as SelfAgnès Varda's documentary portrait of her late husband, Jacques Demy. A companion piece to her...
Movie pageOnce Upon a Time Michel Legrand
as SelfMichel Legrand, jazz musician and composer extraordinaire, has left his mark on the history of...
Movie pageA Final Cut for Orson: 40 Years in the Making
as Self - ComposerA glimpse behind the scenes into the complicated process of recovering and completing Orson...
Movie pageCallas Assoluta
as Self (archive footage)This revealing documentary from director Philippe Kohly examines the storied life of renowned...
Movie pageOnce Upon a Time... The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
as SelfTelevision documentary about the making of Jacques Demy's 1964 film "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg".
Movie pageFrankie Laine: An American Dreamer
as Self"Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer" is a feature-length documentary. In this entertaining look...
Movie pageHommage à Michel Legrand et Jacques Demy au festival Sœurs Jumelles
as Self (archive footage)La La La
as Self - Music ComposerWhen the silent cinema learned to speak, the audience was surprised not only by the voices of...
Movie pageA Time for Loving
as GrondinThe story of an apartment in Paris and the various people that occupy it over the years.
Movie pageMichel Legrand, sans demi-mesure
as SelfThis documentary recounts the life of the late composer Michel Legrand, known for his works on...
Movie pageHer Last Christmas
as Le chef d'orchestre (uncredited)A very ill little girl having expressed the wish to live until Christmas, the whole neighborhood...
Movie pageFrançoise Dorléac, une promesse
as SelfA portray of French actress Françoise Dorléac
Movie pageL’or et le plomb
as Le musicienThe story is based on Voltaire's tale "Le monde comme il va" ("The world as it is"). Sent by the...
Movie pageCinépanorama: Jacques Demy et Michel Legrand
as SelfDirector Jacques Demy and composer Michel Legrand are interviewed about 'The Umbrellas of Cherbourg'
Movie pageTony Awards
as Self - NomineeThe Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award,...
TV Show pageABC Afterschool Special
as uncreditedDramatically presented situations, often controversial, of interest to children and teenagers....
TV Show pageLes Rendez-vous du dimanche
as SelfA talk show presented by Michel Drucker
TV Show pageThe Oscars
as SelfAn annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The...
TV Show pageVictoires de la musique
as Self (Variety/Instrumental Album of the Year)The Danny Kaye Show
as SelfThe Danny Kaye Show is an American variety show hosted by Danny Kaye that aired on CBS from 1963...
TV Show page