“Dr. Zhivago” Composer Maurice Jarre Dies At 84 (Photos)

Posted on March 30, 2009

Academy Award-winning composer Maurice Jarre, who scored movies including “Doctor Zhivago” and “Lawrence of Arabia”, died Sunday from cancer. He was 84. Read more on Maurice Jarre’s life and death below.

Composer Maurice Jarre had a wonderful career, working with Hollywood directing legendssuch as John Huston, Alfred Hitchcock and David Lean.

Fellow French composer Alexandre Desplat told CNN Monday: “Maurice was an immense artist, an incredible symphonist, a magician of the melody and a benevolent human being.”

Jarre won Oscars in 1963 and 1966 for his work on the movies “Lawrence of Arabia” and “Doctor Zhivago.”

Maurice also had six Oscar nominations but his third award came from another collaboration with Lean for “A Passage to India” in 1984.

Jarre also did music for movies such as “Ghost,” “Witness,” “Dead Poet’s Society” and “Fatal Attraction.”

Jarre’s son, Jean-Michel Jarre, became one of the world’s best known electronic musicians with hits such as “Oxygene” and huge outdoor concerts.

Speaking in Berlin to Desplat, Jarre said: “I never really had a ‘bust-up’ with a good director. A good director will always find an intellectual understanding. And that’s what was great – I had an opportunity with all these people. I don’t think I can say that I ever worked with a bad director.”

Jarre also said that directing legends of the rank of Huston and Hitchock had disappeared and no longer existed, adding: “The only problem is now, there is more and more bad music that goes ‘dang dang dang dang dang…’ So…it’s better to turn off the music, and listen to a concert of Mozart.”

Our condolences to the family and friends of composer Maurice Jarre.

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