So I’m still trying to catch up from the weekend. It was another busy one. On Friday evening I had the immense pleasure of seeing Max Richter at Union Chapel. I have been wanting to see Max for quite a few years now, ever since I somehow came across his album The Blue Notebooks. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of neo-classical music I have ever heard. I fell in love with it within minutes and I still listen to it a couple of times a week. The album holds significant importance for me for personal reasons. The rest of his discography is equally as beautiful and I was intrigued to hear the new score that he had composed to go alongside some of Derek Jarman’s unseen Super8 footage archive. I went alone and sat in the front row. I have been going to quite a lot of gigs and most of them I enjoy, of course. However there are some artists that it becomes a dream to see and Richter was one of those, one that I can now cross off of the list. This is what I wrote of the gig on Spoonfed:
Whilst the name may seem foreign to many, you may well have heard Max Richter’s beautiful classical music accompanying many a TV commercial (namely the piano track ‘Vladimir’s Blues’). A thoroughly accomplished composer, musician and producer, his second and perhaps most notable album, ‘The Blue Notebooks’, is a stunning composition of neo-classical music. Blending traditional classical instruments with electronica, its sporadic and soft narration by actress Tilda Swinton lends itself to the dark and often complex musical landscapes that Richter creates.
In conjunction with the re-release of his first album, Memoryhouse, and in support of the Union Chapel’s in-house charity scheme Margins, Richter’s performance takes place on one of four nights devoted to raising both money and awareness. Margins is a charity that opens its arms to support people living on the fringe of society, helping the homeless, those with drug and alcohol problems as well as mental health problems and beyond.
As a precursor to the show we’re shown a short video introducing both the voluntary support workers at Margins as well as providing an insight into the lives of those who use the charity and how it has transformed their lives. Their frank and heart-warming testimonials form a perfect segue into Richter’s soft and emotionally intense music. The Union Chapel’s calming atmosphere resonates amongst the audience who are silent in anticipation, aside from a few whispers.
Opening with the title track to ‘The Blue Notebooks’, a soft piano introduction, we’re quickly introduced to the five string usicians that Richter has chosen to accompany him tonight as they seamlessly slip into ‘On The Nature Of Daylight’. This track epitomises Richter’s style – a soothing melancholic arrangement of strings with a heavy reverberating bassline in the background. The searing pitch of one of the violins conjures a haunting and heavyhearted ambience. It tugs at your soul, this flawless blend between modern and classical. A quick glance around the room and it’s clear that I’m not the only one with goosebumps.
Max Richter’s appearance throughout each performance is endearing. The slight nod of his head after a long note, eyes wide and grin smeared across his face is testimony enough to the passion he has for his music. During the closing tracks he gently discards each music sheet with a look of accomplishment on his face. It’s his track ‘Shadow Journal’ that, at 8 minutes long, creates the most atmosphere. Fusing electronica, his trademark eerie strings, and a bass so heavy that your heart bounds around inside your ribcage. For those in the front row, like me, it’s so intense that the hairs on my arms begin to stand on end.
Richter has recently composed a new score to accompany previously unseen footage from avant garde film-maker Derek Jarman’s Super8 archive. These strange visuals are perfectly matched by Max’s style – ethereal musical landscapes carefully layered over double exposed images of forests and constellations. The videos are old, jumpy and crackling, and Richter delivers the perfect musical counterpart, all the while interspersed with sporadic narration. It’s easy to drift in and out of thoughts, becoming lost in both the visual and auditory overload.
Now I may not be a classical music connoisseur, but I know enough to see that Richter is here for the long-haul. And that’s quite alright with me.
