Photograph of Ludovico Einaudi © Ray Tarantino
What do the Oscar-winning films Nomadland and The Father have in common with TV’s Doctor Foster? The answer, of course, is music by Italian composer and pianist Ludovico Einaudi. Cinema, a new double CD collection of his greatest film and TV compositions, including My Journey from The Father, is on sale now. RT has three copies, courtesy of Decca Records, to give away to our readers.
For a chance to win, scroll down.
But first, here’s what the acclaimed composer had to say when RT caught up with him by Zoom in the Piedmont countryside…
Do you work at home?
Yes, I have four pianos in the house – this one, and I also have two grand pianos and another upright, which was the piano of my mother.
How did you come to write scores?
It was always my desire to work with films because I grew up with classics like Lawrence of Arabia and Doctor Zhivago and Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns. When I was in my 20s in Milan, I began creating music for friends who were making their first films. Then I was asked by Italian director Nanni Moretti if he could use music from my album Le Onde [The Waves] in his film Aprile. This was the mid-90s. As I performed more, and produced other albums, I started to receive requests to compose – first on a European scale, and now worldwide.
Do you work from a script?
It is different every time. But it’s very important if you can make the final touch with the images as they speak more than every word you can read. It’s only when you feel the rhythm of the film that you understand if the wave of the sound you’ve created is the right one. This is something you do very instinctively. It’s like when you create spaghetti with tomato: you have all the ingredients, but then you have to add your own touch!
Is it different working in television?
For me there’s not such a big difference. It’s your thought that has to be big, not the size of the screen! Some TV series use previously written pieces. Cutting my music to fit scenes during the editing is actually fun, because sometimes you discover something different and it works even better than the original.
Do you record with an orchestra?
It depends on the project. The music for The Father was recorded in a theatre in Milan in the afternoon, during concert rehearsals! We were just three musicians and we did a lot of overdubs so it sounds like a full orchestra. It came out very well.
What about Nomadland?
Nomadland uses music from my album Seven Days Walking. It is itself almost like a film score: the themes recur like characters.
Of all your compositions for the screen, what are your favourites?
I like very much the opening track of French film The Untouchables – there is a sort of car race and it’s perfect. Also a piano piece I composed for Shane Meadows for This Is England. It took me a few days to write because it’s the most difficult part of the film, in terms of emotion. Also I love the end of The Father. It’s a transcendental moment with Anthony Hopkins – to say he is great is not enough – and it is very touching. I think his acting and the music go together perfectly. It is called My Journey.
For a chance to win a copy of the CD Cinema, answer the question below!
from Radio Times https://ift.tt/3vm89Bv
