Max Richter

It depends what it is. If somebody's commissioned something, say an orchestral piece or ballet or whatever it might be, then yes. Then I write it all down. We make a score. Then here is the score. And then, you know, it's over to whoever it is who's playing the piece or conducting it. Other times, you know, say it's a film project, then, you know, I'll be recording it here at the studio.

It depends what it is. If somebody's commissioned something, say an orchestral piece or ballet or whatever it might be, then yes. Then I write it all down. We make a score. Then here is the score. And then, you know, it's over to whoever it is who's playing the piece or conducting it. Other times, you know, say it's a film project, then, you know, I'll be recording it here at the studio.

And there'll be a sort of a dialogue back and forth with director, editor in terms of how it should all work. That's much more conversational kind of a process. Or if it's a solo album, then it's me sitting in this room writing away and then recording it and then doing absolutely every aspect of it myself.

And there'll be a sort of a dialogue back and forth with director, editor in terms of how it should all work. That's much more conversational kind of a process. Or if it's a solo album, then it's me sitting in this room writing away and then recording it and then doing absolutely every aspect of it myself.

Yeah. Yeah, it's completely different. It's fundamentally a collaborative thing. Music is, well, a TV show is not a symphony, right? There are other things going on. There are actors. There's a story. So quite naturally, the music has to be any part of something. But what's the best way for the music to be part of the thing? That's what we're trying to figure out.

Yeah. Yeah, it's completely different. It's fundamentally a collaborative thing. Music is, well, a TV show is not a symphony, right? There are other things going on. There are actors. There's a story. So quite naturally, the music has to be any part of something. But what's the best way for the music to be part of the thing? That's what we're trying to figure out.

We're trying to figure out what is the music that feels innate or inevitable within the world of that story. And that's something which you arrive at by experiment and conversation and luck sometimes.

We're trying to figure out what is the music that feels innate or inevitable within the world of that story. And that's something which you arrive at by experiment and conversation and luck sometimes.

Yeah, I mean, there's a million different ways. I mean, quite often I'll write things from the page, from the script. So then I'm just dealing with the themes, the psychology of the thing or whatever it might be, the drama. Other times, you'll get scenes or a whole cut of a thing and then you're responding to the visuals. Yeah, it varies.

Yeah, I mean, there's a million different ways. I mean, quite often I'll write things from the page, from the script. So then I'm just dealing with the themes, the psychology of the thing or whatever it might be, the drama. Other times, you'll get scenes or a whole cut of a thing and then you're responding to the visuals. Yeah, it varies.

Yeah, yeah. It's something which is involving and connected in a really deep way, I think, to... I mean, for me, you know, the experience of being a person, how we relate to one another, all of these things, you know, it's a very, it's a very simultaneously very simple and very mysterious thing.

Yeah, yeah. It's something which is involving and connected in a really deep way, I think, to... I mean, for me, you know, the experience of being a person, how we relate to one another, all of these things, you know, it's a very, it's a very simultaneously very simple and very mysterious thing.

And I really enjoy that about it, actually, you know, the fact that it's kind of endlessly elusive in a way.

And I really enjoy that about it, actually, you know, the fact that it's kind of endlessly elusive in a way.

Well, I think, yeah. I mean, I think for composers, I mean, probably for all musicians ultimately, there's a few different things, aren't there? I mean, you have to just learn, learn, learn. Learn everything you can learn and then keep learning. Technical stuff, historical stuff, you know, just be immersed with it. And then I think try to figure out what it is

Well, I think, yeah. I mean, I think for composers, I mean, probably for all musicians ultimately, there's a few different things, aren't there? I mean, you have to just learn, learn, learn. Learn everything you can learn and then keep learning. Technical stuff, historical stuff, you know, just be immersed with it. And then I think try to figure out what it is

that you've got, which is the thing that really makes you, you. You know, that bit of your biography, that bit of your story, which is really, which no one else has got, right? Because that's what you write from, and that's where you, that's your sort of origin point, and that, you know, everyone has a unique version of that. And I think if, you know, I think,

that you've got, which is the thing that really makes you, you. You know, that bit of your biography, that bit of your story, which is really, which no one else has got, right? Because that's what you write from, and that's where you, that's your sort of origin point, and that, you know, everyone has a unique version of that. And I think if, you know, I think,

Ultimately, it's probably the best thing you've got, right?

Ultimately, it's probably the best thing you've got, right?