Remembering Marvin Hamlisch

Marvin Hamlisch and Mick Jagger were contemporaries, though it’s hard to imagine anyone mentioning them in the same breath. Both reached Olympian heights by blending writing and performance into a unique personal mold. But their public images couldn’t have been more different. Jagger’s larger-than-life persona contrasts sharply with Hamlisch, the mild-mannered composer whose work quietly inspired audiences for decades. How will the world remember his musical legacy?

A bespectacled prodigy, Hamlisch began studying at Juilliard’s youth division at the age of seven. While mastering the classical repertoire, he also tuned into pop radio, absorbing contemporary melodies. By 21, he had already written “Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows,” lyrics by Howard Liebling, which Lesley Gore turned into a hit under the deft production of Quincy Jones. Soon after, Hamlisch scored his first film, The Swimmer, marking the start of a career that seamlessly spanned film, Broadway, and concert performances.

Raised in an era of rebellion and experimentation, Hamlisch developed a style rooted in older models. Harry Warren, the composer who moved fluidly between Broadway and film, comes to mind. His film scores rarely had a distinctive “signature,” but they were inventive, technically precise, and infused with jazz, pop, and classical elements. Songs like “Nobody Does It Better” (lyrics by Carole Bayer Sager) and “Through the Eyes of Love” (lyrics by Melissa Manchester) reveal his flair for blending blues phrasing with pop melody. And of course, The Way We Were (lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman), recorded by Barbra Streisand in 1973, remains a touchstone of American songwriting: beautiful, poignant, and instantly memorable.

For many, however, Hamlisch’s most enduring legacy will be his work on Broadway, especially A Chorus Line. The show ran for over 6,000 performances-a record until Cats-and produced memorable songs such as “One,” which leapt from the theater into the wider public consciousness.

If you want to honor Hamlisch in a way he might have appreciated, sit back with a drink and listen to The Informant, his final piano score for the 2009 film of the same name. Jaunty, breezy, and meticulously crafted, it serves as a fitting coda to a career that brought joy to millions.

Marvin Hamlisch passed away at 68, leaving behind a body of work that combines technical mastery with a rare melodic gift. Thanks for the memories, Marv.

8/15/2012