Vangelis, Composer of Chariots of Fire, Dies at 79: NPR

The famous composer died in a hospital in Paris from heart failure.

Georges Bendrihem / AFP via Getty Images

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Georges Bendrihem / AFP via Getty Images

The famous composer died in a hospital in Paris from heart failure.

Georges Bendrihem / AFP via Getty Images

Composer Vangelis, who came up with the film Train its signature synth-driven sound, dead. He was 79 years old. According to his assistant Lefteris Zermas, Vangelis died on May 17 in a Paris hospital, of a heart attack.

Vangelis was born Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou in the Greek town of Agria. He is a self-taught musician and became a piano prodigy at a young age. Then he moved to Paris and co-founded the famous prog-rock group Child of Aphrodite. The band eventually split and Vangelis got a solo recording contract with RCA Records.

In 1981, he composed music for Train. Its opening theme, with its inspirational sublimation and ornate arrangement, was released as a single and reached the top of the charts. Billboard Hot 100. His efforts earned him the best original score at the Oscars.

Success led him to other film jobs. Notably, he composed the soundtrack for the original Blade Runneras well as Carl Sagan’s PBS documentary series Cosmos. In addition to songwriting scores, Vangelis is prolific in her solo career, regularly releasing albums until last year. Juno to Jupiter.

While he was most attached to the synthesizer, the instrument was also a source of frustration for him. “I’ve been using synthesizers for years, but they’ve never been designed properly. They create a lot of problems.” he told NPR in 2016. “Computers have completely different logic from human logic.” So for his 2016 record Rosettadedicated to the space probe of the same name, he simply built his own synthesizer.

Vangelis had a lifelong interest in space reflected in his music – in its breadth and atmosphere. He believes there is something inherent in humans that always wants to explore – whether that means in the sky or in the studio. For Vangelis, becoming a musician was never a conscious decision. “It is very difficult Not to make music,” Vangelis told NPR in 1977. It is as natural as I eat, as I make love. So is music. ”