Biography
Michel Jean Legrand (24 February 1932 – 26 January 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, jazz pianist, and singer. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written more than 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs. His scores for two of 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), and additional Oscars for Summer of '42 (1971) and Barbra Streisand's Yentl (1983). Legrand was born in Paris, France, to his father, Raymond Legrand, who was himself a conductor and composer, and his mother, Marcelle Der-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 the age of 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 1954 album I Love Paris 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) (from which Recit de Cassard came and in turn, in English became the standard Watch What Happens) and The Young Girls of Rochefort (1967), from which the relyricized "You Must Believe in Spring" is considered a jazz standard. Legrand 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), TriStar Pictures 1998 family film Madeline, 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. ... Source: Article "Michel Legrand" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA.
Sound 182
2020s
- 2023
- 2022
Michel Legrand, enchanted music
Original Music Composer
Michel Legrand, la musique enchantée
Original Music Composer
2010s
- 2018
I Lost Albert
Original Music Composer
- 2017
- 2015
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
Music Director
The Price of Fame
Original Music Composer
2000s
- 2009
Oscar and the Lady in Pink
Original Music Composer
- 2008
Disco
Original Music Composer
- 2006
Deadly Lessons
Original Music Composer
- 2005
Cavalcade
Original Music Composer
- 2004
The Young Girls of Rochefort
Music Arranger
- 2003
Amber Wings
Original Music Composer
- 2002
1990s
- 1999
- 1998
- 1996
Once Upon a Time... The Explorers
Original Music Composer
The Ring
Original Music Composer
- 1995
The Real Shlemiel
Original Music Composer
The World of Jacques Demy
Original Music Composer
Les Miserables
Original Music Composer
- 1994
- 1993
The Young Girls Turn 25
Original Music Composer
The Pickle
Original Music Composer
- 1992
Once Upon a Time... The Americas
Original Music Composer
- 1991
Mountain of Diamonds
Original Music Composer
- 1990
Gaspard and Robinson
Original Music Composer
Eternity
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less
Original Music Composer
Carnaval
Main Title Theme Composer
Flight from Paradise
Original Music Composer
1980s
- 1989
The Jeweller's Shop
Original Music Composer
- 1988
Un coupable
Original Music Composer
Three Seats for the 26th
Original Music Composer
- 1987
Spiral
Original Music Composer
Casanova
Original Music Composer
- 1986
You've Got Beautiful Stairs, You Know...
Original Music Composer
As Summers Die
Original Music Composer
- 1985
Promises to Keep
Original Music Composer
Parking
Original Music Composer
Hell Train
Original Music Composer
Zoom the White Dolphin
Original Music Composer
- 1984
Paroles et musique
Original Music Composer
Secret Places
Original Music Composer
- 1983
A Love in Germany
Original Music Composer
Revenge of the Humanoids
Original Music Composer
- 1982
Bankers Also Have Souls
Original Music Composer
The Button
Original Music Composer
- 1981
Your Ticket Is No Longer Valid
Original Music Composer
Bolero
Original Music Composer
- 1980
The Hunter
Original Music Composer
1970s
- 1979
The Fabulous Adventures of the Legendary Baron Munchausen
Original Music Composer
Lady Oscar
Original Music Composer
- 1978
The Phoenix
Original Music Composer
Roads to the South
Original Music Composer
One Can Say It Without Getting Angry
Original Music Composer
- 1977
The Other Side of Midnight
Original Music Composer
Gulliver's Travels
Original Music Composer
- 1976
Gable and Lombard
Original Music Composer
- 1975
Sheila Levine Is Dead and Living in New York
Original Music Composer
Lovers Like Us
Original Music Composer
Cage Without a Key
Original Music Composer
- 1974
Give Me Liberty
Music
Our Time
Original Music Composer, Conductor
It's Good to Be Alive
Original Music Composer
- 1973
A Slightly Pregnant Man
Original Music Composer
Cops and Robbers
Original Music Composer
Impossible Object
Original Music Composer
Bequest to the Nation
Original Music Composer
Le Temps de vivre... Le Temps d'aimer
Original Music Composer
The Hostage Gang
Original Music Composer
The Adventures Of Don Quixote
Original Music Composer
- 1972
The Outside Man
Original Music Composer
Not Dumb, the Bird
Original Music Composer
Lady Sings the Blues
Original Music Composer
One Is a Lonely Number
Conductor, Original Music Composer
Hearth Fires
Original Music Composer
A Time for Loving
Original Music Composer
La Vie sentimentale de Georges le tueur
Original Music Composer
The Old Maid
Original Music Composer, Conductor
- 1971
Brian's Song
Original Music Composer
A Little Sun in Cold Water
Original Music Composer
Touch and Go
Original Music Composer
The Go-Between
Original Music Composer
The Married Couple of the Year Two
Original Music Composer
- 1970
The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun
Original Music Composer
Pieces of Dreams
Original Music Composer, Songs
1960s
- 1969
The Happy Ending
Original Music Composer, Songs
The Picasso Summer
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Castle Keep
Conductor, Original Music Composer
- 1968
A Hatful of Rain
Original Music Composer
Sweet November
Original Music Composer
How to Save a Marriage and Ruin Your Life
Original Music Composer
The Man in the Buick
Music Director, Original Music Composer
- 1967
Pretty Polly
Original Music Composer, Conductor
1999 A.D.
Original Music Composer
- 1966
Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?
Original Music Composer
The Plastic Dome of Norma Jean
Original Music Composer, Conductor
Funny Money
Original Music Composer
A Matter of Resistance
Original Music Composer
- 1965
The Spy Who Went Into Hell
Original Music Composer
The Botanical Avatar of Mademoiselle Flora
Original Music Composer
- 1964
From a Distant Gaze
Original Music Composer
Le Grand Escroc
Original Music Composer
The World's Most Beautiful Swindlers
Original Music Composer
The Lovers of the France
Original Music Composer
Agent 38-24-36
Original Music Composer
- 1963
Maigret Sees Red
Original Music Composer
The Lovely Month of May
Original Music Composer
Illuminations
Music
- 1962
The Gentleman from Epsom
Original Music Composer
Playtime in Paris
Original Music Composer
Fiancés on the Bridge
Original Music Composer, Musician
L'Envie
Music
La Colère
Music
La Gourmandise
Sound
Lust
Original Music Composer
The Seven Deadly Sins
Original Music Composer
La Paresse
Original Music Composer
A Swelled Head
Original Music Composer
- 1961
A Woman Is a Woman
Original Music Composer
It Means That Much to Me
Original Music Composer
- 1960
The French Game
Original Music Composer
The Door Slams
Original Music Composer
Jack of Spades
Original Music Composer
America as Seen by a Frenchman
Original Music Composer
1950s
- 1959
Jours de mes années
Music
- 1958
Sinners of Paris
Original Music Composer
- 1957
Too Many Lovers
Conductor
The Tricyclist
Original Music Composer
- 1955
Razzia
Music Director, Music Arranger
Lovers' Net
Original Music Composer
Visages de Paris
Original Music Composer
Acted in 7
2020s
- 2024
Jacques Demy: The Pink and the Black
Movie
2010s
- 2011
Michel Legrand and the Cinema
Musician
1970s
- 1972
A Time for Loving
Grondin
1960s
- 1966
L’Or et le plomb
Musician
- 1964
- 1962
1950s
- 1952
Her Last Christmas
Conductor (uncredited)
Wrote 4
2020s
- 2022
Michel Legrand, enchanted music
Author
2010s
- 2015
Les Parapluies de Cherbourg
Author
1980s
- 1989
Five Days in June
Writer
1970s
- 1972
Directed 2
1990s
- 1992
Love at First Sight
Director
1980s
- 1989
Five Days in June
Director
Other crew 1
2020s
- 2022
Michel Legrand, enchanted music
Compositor
Appearances40
2020s
- 2025
Quincy Jones, Music Man
Self (archive footage)
- 2024
Once Upon a Time Michel Legrand
Self
- 2022
Il était une fois Champs-Élysées
Self (archive footage) · 1 episode
Dans les pas de Jean-Paul Rappeneau
Self
- 2021
Françoise Dorléac, from The Man from Rio to The Young Girls of Rochefort
self
Hommage à Michel Legrand et Jacques Demy au festival Sœurs Jumelles
Self (archive footage)
2010s
- 2018
Michel Legrand, sans demi-mesure
Self
La La La
Self - Music Composer
A Final Cut for Orson: 40 Years in the Making
Self - Composer
Françoise Dorléac, une promesse
Self
- 2011
Love Lasts Three Years
Self
2000s
- 2008
La chanson 'Lola'
Self
The Beaches of Agnès
Self (archive footage)
Once Upon a Time... The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
Self
- 2007
Callas Assoluta
Self (archive footage)
- 2006
Frankie Laine: An American Dreamer
Self
- 2004
- 2003
Un film et son époque
Self · 1 episode
1990s
- 1998
- 1995
The World of Jacques Demy
Self
- 1993
The Young Girls Turn 25
Self
1980s
- 1987
- 1985
- 1982
1970s
- 1976
- 1975
Ann-Margret Smith
Self
- 1974
- 1972
1960s
- 1966
Behind the screens : Les demoiselles de Rochefort
Self
- 1963
