Lynch’s court composer Badalamenti has died

Badalamenti and Lynch first met in the mid-1980s, when Badalamenti dubbed actress Isabella Rossellini on the set of Blue Velvet. But the New York native quickly caught Lynch’s eye, they even co-wrote the title song Mysteries of Love, and eventually Badalamenti contributed music to the entire film.

The two artists met again during the completion of Fury at Heart (1990) and especially during the creation of Lynch’s popular series Twin Peaks (1990-1991). The impressive accompaniment of Angelo Badalamenti, obviously also influenced by the musically gifted Lynch, played a significant role in the success of the mystery series. The couple Lynch and Badalamenti also worked together on the films Lost Highway, The Story of Alvin Straight or Mulholland Drive. Badalamenti, who often recorded in Prague, was also present at the Twin Peaks sequel in 2017.

Despite his successes – he had nominations for Golden Globes, Emmys and Grammys – Badalamenti remained unknown in Hollywood for a long time. Although he had been flirting with cinema since the 1970s, even after the success of Twin Peaks, many people in the industry wondered if “the composer” was from Milan or Rome. A graduate of New York music schools, whose ancestors came to America from Sicily, he had around 80 film scores to his credit, as well as Lynch films such as The Beach or the third part of the horror series A Nightmare on Elm Street. He also wrote a composition for the opening ceremony of the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.