Max Richter and Post-Minimalist Romanticism
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OK, so I’ve come to Max Richter in my collection walkthrough. I have 30 of his albums, so yes, I’m a big fan.
Weirdly, I didn’t connect with him back when his breakthrough score WALTZ WITH BASHIR came out in 2008, even though I liked that film a lot. It was only after Scorsese used his music in SHUTTER ISLAND in 2010 that he became a crossover composer with wider attention. I was at a family function around that time, and a classical music-loving family member who knew about my interest in film music came up to me and asked what I thought about Max Richter. Well, I didn’t know a lot at that time, and was kinda embarassed, so I started to explore him immediately afterwards.
As it happens, this corresponded with a change in my taste — a kind of departure from the traditional romantic stylings and into more alternative expressions – like the post-minimalist romanticism that was all the rage at the time. Composers like Korzeniowski, Marianelli, Frahm, even some of Elfman’s work, post-“Serenada Schizophrana”. So I immediately latched on to Richter, with a collection that grew exponentially. Both film music and studio albums/classical albums.
My favourite work of his remains the gloriously religioso, kinda Arvo Pärt-inspired THE LEFTOVERS, but plenty of other good nuggets too.
What’s your take on Richter or post-minimalist romanticism in general? (that’s not an established term, by the way, it’s my own coinage).
I know him by name and saw some movies like WALTZ WITH BASHIR but I am totally unfamiliar with him and indeed have not a single album by him. I do like minimalism like Glass or Nyman but I think his music didn’t grab me.
Never too late to start!
Good starting points are the aforementioned THE LEFTOVERS, his version of Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” or the classic studio album THE BLUE NOTEBOOKS from 2004 (of which several tracks have been used in films over the years, especially “On the Nature of Daylight”).
Basically I like Minimalism in the sense of complexity.
I don’t like it in the sense of çreativity or originality.
A lot of minimal music sounds like it was AI generated.In Pop and Rock music I definitely have an afinity to minimalism. That is why my favourite bands were rather in the new wave area like The Cure, New Order, Sisters of Mercy and stuff like that. Especially when thinking about that I actually would like to make myself if I made music.
My entry point to minimal film music was Michael Nyman with his Greenaway scores. That means, I recognized it, but wasn’t a fan. That changed with The Piano and then Gattaca.
I have one digital album of a Max Richter score: Taboo. Because I liked the title theme. Which is not on the album.
Didn’t do much for me.On the other hand Korzeniowski for me often adds that little bit to that often pointless and boring minimalism that makes it interesting and enjoyable.
You mentioned Marianelli, another favourite of mine.
But typical for those minimalists is, that I just like a certain little subset of their work, that I find interesting enough.Someone where I like most of his minimal work is Joe Hisaishi. He is in the meantime probably my biggest minimalism hero.
Oh, if we’re talking HARDCORE minimalism — Glass, Riley, Reich, Nyman, that kind of stuff — I’ve never been able to grasp that properly. I mean, there’s some I like. I enjoy Glass’ VISITORS, Nyman’s THE PIANO and some Greenaway. And I like more minimalist things in EDM. But for classically oriented music, I need something to spice things up a bit – like that post-minimalist romantic style we’re talking about.
But I would claim that scores like Nyman’s The Piano or Gattaca match that post-minimalist romantic style.
Probably it’s worth mentioning Rachel Portman in that context as well.Not sure if we are talking about the same thing though.
Maybe we’re not. It’s a difficult thing to define. But it basically has to do with minimalist (meaning repetitive) figures going on, while there’s a strive for melody at the same time. Marianelli’s JANE EYRE is a great, gorgeous example.
Never too late to start!
Indeed, so (too) much music to explore! 😉
Glass, Riley, Reich, Nyman, that kind of stuff — I’ve never been able to grasp that properly. I mean, there’s some I like. I enjoy Glass’ VISITORS, Nyman’s THE PIANO and some Greenaway.
Nyman can be tough because he is often more “scratchy” chamber music. I don’t love everything. Another more lyrical and almost morriconesque score of his basically western score THE CLAIM. Or WONDERLAND if I recall right.
Glass can be a little tiresome being a bit too repetitive (even if technically it often isn’t).
Wouldn’t Sakamoto also fit in this “minimalistic” vein often?
Wouldn’t Sakamoto also fit in this “minimalistic” vein often?
Some things, perhaps, but he was mostly all over the place. That’s what defined him as a composer. I recommend the documentary CODA, on Sakamoto, if you haven’t seen it already. Goes into some of his eclectic work processes.
My first “encounter” with Max Richter was when I was browsing in my local record store and picked up an interesting looking album: Vivaldi – The Four Seasons Recomposed by Max Richter.
Was an interesting composition, clearly Vivaldi on the one hand, clearly modern relaxing minimalism on the other. I liked that. And of course I encountered what may be his most famous composition, “On the nature of Daylight” at various times and in various places.
I’m also fascinated by his mammoth album project “Sleep” (and it’s many tie-in albums, like “From Sleep”, “Sleep Tranquility Base”, etc.). Indeed very absorbing, meditative music.I’ve been a fan of Philip Glass ever since I heard KOYAANISQATSI. I was still in school back, but had a summer internthip at the German distributor of the film, so I got access to all the promotional material, posters, flyers, press books… soundtrack LPs. 🙂
I was music unlike any music I had ever heard, it was neither “classical” classical music, nor was it “modern” classical music, it was something new. It’s the musical equivalent of a mosaic.
I very much like Philip Glass, from his piano Études to his operas (especially Akhnaten). I think his operas, and again especially Akhnaten, while abstract, are probably the most dramatic music Glass has ever written. His largest scale work is probably ITAIPU, which features a large orchestra as well as a large chorus. So yes, Glass has been a “fixture” in my music collection ever since KOYAANISQATSI, which I did see performed live to picture, with Glass at the Keyboard. It’s the type of movie where such concerts actually make sense.I was supposed to have seen KOYAANISQATSI earlier this month, as it was screened at the local Cinemateque. Alas, other things came in the way.
Glass is not a ‘post-minimalist romantic’, of course, but I found it interesting how, in the series TALES FROM THE LOOP, he (along with Paul Leonard-Morgan) approximated its style. So here you have Glass approximating other composers approximating him. It’s like the old adage ‘pop will eat itself’. 🙂
Philippe Rombi does well with lush, traditional, orchestral landscapes (ANGEL, LA NOUVELLE GUERRE DES BOUTONS, FRANTZ, LE TEMPS DE SECRET), but also music that is roughly within this style, like DANS LA MAISON. Just occured to me as I’m listening to DANS LA MAISON now.
Philip Glass is a fascinating composer; as I said, he opened new musical doors for me. A lot of his music is void of overt emotion or drama, which may not appeal to everyone.
Sometime though he shows a more lyrical side, like in his score for SECRET AGENT.
Philippe Rombi does well with lush, traditional, orchestral landscapes (ANGEL, LA NOUVELLE GUERRE DES BOUTONS, FRANTZ, LE TEMPS DE SECRET), but also music that is roughly within this style, like DANS LA MAISON. Just occured to me as I’m listening to DANS LA MAISON now.
I am also a fan of his score for UNE BELLE COURSE.
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