Hailed as the most influential composer of his generation, Max Richter is an innovator on the contemporary music scene. The maestro recently kicked off the SXSW festival with his groundbreaking eight-hour album SLEEP, as well as an Emmy and Baft nomination and his work in the BBC drama Taboo. Over the years, Richter has become best known for his influential solo albums. But his seminal work also includes concert music, operas, ballets, art and video installations. He also wrote many musical works from films, theater and television.
His music can be heard in M. Scorsese's film "Shutter Island", the Oscar-winning cinematic work "Arrival", as well as in Charlie Brooker's TV shows "Black Mirror" and "Remains" on HBO.
Childhood and youth
The celebrity has German roots. He was born on March 22, 1966 in the small town of Hamelin in West Germany, but grew up in London. It was there that his parents moved shortly after the birth of Max. The boy received a school certificate and classical musical education in the capital of England. But Richter didn't stop there. Following his parents' advice, he graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with a degree in composition. At the same time, he took lessons from the famous composer Luciano Berio in Italy. The young musician was not interested in anything but notes. He could sit at the piano for days on end without ever feeling tired.
"Piano Circus" by Max Richter
Returning to London from Italy in 1989, Max Richter co-founded a six-piano ensemble called "Piano Circus". Here the composer worked for more than ten years. The most popular works of that time were minimalist works. Together with their colleagues in the ensemble, they released 5 discs, which are still a success.
In 1996, Richter left the Piano Circus. Max Richter has started a collaboration with Future Sound of London. He appeared as lead writer and was actively involved in the Dead Cities compilation. He has been with the band for two years, also contributing to The Isness, The Peppermint Tree and Seeds of Superconsciousness. Richter combined subtle elements of electronics with the grandiose sounds of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. This subsequently helped the musician to attract new listeners to his music.
Solo projects of the composer Max Richter
Richter's album "The Blue Noteboks" (2004) became a real revolution in the world of musical composition. In particular, On The Nature Of Daylight has since become ubiquitous in film, television and beyond. The maestro indicated that "Blue Notebook" is a work of protest against military operations in Iraq, as well as thoughts about his own restless youth.
Richter's The Three Worlds of Music Woolf Works was a huge success after his collaboration with choreographer Wayne McGregor. The ballet performance "Woolf-Works" was awarded multiple awards, and the "Observer" described it as "magic that mesmerizes." Most recently, Richter announced a 15th anniversary re-release of his masterpiece The Blue Noteboks on Deutsche Grammophon.
Richter's music in film
Max Richter has written dozens of soundtracks for films and television shows over the years. Fame brought him the soundtrack to the work of Henri Vollman "Waltz with Bashir". The work received a Golden Globe in 2007. Here, Richter changed the standard orchestral melody to synthesizer-based sounds, and received an award from the European Film Award for this and was named the best composer. He co-wrote the film Henry May Long (2008), starring Randy Sharp and Brian Barnhart, and created a track for Feo Aladagi's film "Die Fremde".
Max Richter: subsequent works
An excerpt of the song "Sarajevo" from the 2002 CD "Memoryhous" was used in the international trailer for R. Scott's "Prometheus". The melody "November" was used in Terence Malek's film "To the Miracle" (2012). He also featured in the trailer for Clint Eastwood's J. Edgar" (2011). Films featuring Richter's music released in recent years are the French drama The Keys of Sarah by Gilles Paquet Brenner, and the romantic thriller by David Mackenzie Perfect Feelings. In 2012, he composed tracks for Henry Rubin's films "Unplug" and Katie Shortland's military blockbuster "Knowledge".
"Sleep" is a landmark work by Max Richter
In 2015 Max Richter released his famous opus "Sleep". This is a concept album of over eight hours dedicated to the science of sleep. The sensational premiere took place as an eight-hour concert for the public in bed from midnight to 8 am in London. "Sleep" is a collection of 31 compositions of different melodies. They are designed for 8,5 hours of sleep. This is exactly how much, according to the composer, a person needs to renew internal energy. There is also a compressed one-hour version called "From Sleep".
Of the strangeness of performing in front of a sleeping audience, Richter says that “it was almost an anti-performance. Usually when you play something live you try to lend a helping hand and be very direct and project the material. But in sleep mode, all these dynamics are completely mixed up. The energy on stage is completely different, it’s a real nighttime journey together.” It is extremely unusual that the hour-long version has now sold over 100000 copies, and despite the difficulties associated with its performance, the full-length work was regularly broadcast live around the world, its audience was provided with beds instead of seats.
Max Richter: Maestro's Studio
From Richter's point of view, his studio is “a rather ugly place. A tiny seven-by-seven-foot room full of boxes and gizmos, piles of synthesizers and stacks of books, manuscripts, and computers. At first glance, it is very cluttered. But looking closer, you can understand that this is a very creative space in which the composer likes to be. He loves analog sounds. All his solo albums were recorded on a tape recorder located here. In terms of plugins, Richter loves all things Soundtoys.
Facts and trivia
Included in the list of the most popular composers. Also included in the elite list of famous celebrities born in Germany. “Music,” says Max Richter, “for me is basically a way to communicate with people. It's about talking, and if you want to talk, you have to speak clearly. You also need to have content: something to say. I wanted to develop a simple and direct language."
Max Richter is one of the richest composers and is included in the list of the most popular composers. According to our analysis by Forbes and Business Insider, Max Richter's net worth is approximately $1,5 million.
According to media reports, Max Richter is currently single and has not been previously married. Due to a busy schedule and boundless love for his work, the composer does not have time for his personal life.
