In Memory of Wojciech Kilar

 Wojciech Kilar (1932 - 2013)
Image source: Culture.pl

The sad news came yesterday of Wojciech Kilar's passing at the age of 81. Born in 1932, the Polish composer has become one of the most celebrated of the classically trained composers. His musical career first came to prominence in the 1960's, when he represented the Polish Avant-garde movement along with the likes of Krzysztof Penderecki. It was at this time that he became acclaimed for his classical and symphonic work, eventually moving into film scoring.

Although he scored over 100 films, he never truly achieved recognition from a larger audience, but became a favourite for many others fans of composing and film scoring. Of all the film scores he wrote, his most well-known is probably Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), as well as The Ninth Gate (1999), Death and the Maiden (1994) and The Pianist (2002). Arguably, his most well-known symphony was the epic Exodus (1981). At the time of his death, he was continuing to compose symphonies for concert and orchestra.

Below is a selection of works from across Wojciech Kilar's life. They show his classical influence, and also demonstrate just why he will be missed by music lovers across the world.



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