In Motion

Donald Macleod and composer Max Richter explore his music for stage and screen.

German-born British musician Max Richter is one of the most influential composers of his generation. A streaming sensation with over 3 billion listens, he blends classical and electronic elements in his music and is just as at home on 6Music as on Radio 3. He’s a producer, pianist and serial collaborator whose trailblazing work ranges from ballets and orchestral works to major Hollywood scores and solo albums. At his studio in rural Oxfordshire, Donald sits down with Max to talk about his musical life, from making synthesisers in his bedroom, to Grammy nominations, writing the world’s longest lullaby and tackling some of society’s biggest questions through the medium of music. Across the week, we dig into Max’s eclectic back catalogue, and journey through one of his most popular works, his reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Today, Donald and Max adventure to the shores of Scotland, a Lebanese warzone, plunge into the London Underground, and jet off into outer space, on a journey through Max’s music for stage and screen. As one of the most hotly-demanded composers writing for cinema and TV today, we’ll hear what he’s learnt over the years and how he approaches a score. Plus, with excerpts from his ballets, they talk about writing for dancers, and how what’s on his bookshelf influences his work.

The Shores of Scotland (from Mary Queen of Scots)
Air Lyndhurst Orchestra
Robert Ziegler, conductor

Three Worlds: Woolf Works (II. Mrs Dalloway: In the Garden)
Max Richter, piano
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
John Metcalfe, viola
Ian Burdge, cello
Chris Worsey, cello

Waltz with Bashir (excerpts)
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
John Metcalfe, viola
Ian Burdge, cello
Chris Worsey, cello

Infra (excerpts)
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
Nick Barr, viola
Ian Burdge, cello
Chris Worsey, cello

Three Worlds: Woolf Works (III. Orlando - excerpts)
Sarah Sutcliffe, voice
Mari Samuelsen, violin
Deutsches Filmorchester Babelsberg
Robert Ziegler, conductor

Finale (from Mary Queen of Scots)
Air Lyndhurst Orchestra
Robert Ziegler, conductor

I will not forget you (from Testament of Youth)
Air Lyndhurst Orchestra
Robert Ziegler, conductor

Produced by Amelia Parker for BBC Audio Cardiff

(Photo credit: Mike Terry)