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[BACKGROUND CHATTER]
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[DISTANT CONVERSATION]
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[YULIA MAHR]
Everything just takes a while.
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Just staying with it in order
to get the richness of it.
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It's too easy to move on.
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[MAX RICHTER]
Like a sort of big sky...
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...translates into
what you're doing.
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[YULIA] How would that be if you could see for miles around?
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The horizon's all open.
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[MAX] A ritual which shifts
your state of mind...
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...to take you somewhere else.
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[YULIA] There's a sense
of sharing something.
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[MAX] it feels like it can stand different kind of interventions.
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[YULIA] I really love that.
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I really love it that
it goes out and has a life...
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- Yeah.
-...beyond us.
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[MAX]
if there's a storm coming...
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They said there was going to be.
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[YULIA] Yeah.
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[SOFT PIANO MUSIC]
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[MAX] Music is my sort of vehicle for
travelling through the world,
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sort of getting through life.
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It's like I write music
to do that.
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It's just kind of odd.
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It's kind of an odd thing to do.
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- Hello. How are you?
- Fine. How are you?
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- Lovely to see you.
- You too.
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How are you?
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00:02:42,583 --> 00:02:46,712
- Weird. Weird and tired.
- Weird and tired!
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And this piece is obviously
very extreme in some ways.
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It's a gigantic thing.
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To want to do
such difficult things
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is kind of odd as well.
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It's a puzzle to me.
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- Guys, you're almost there.
- Alright.
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Right, folks, make sure
your wristbands are on.
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[SOFT MELANCHOLIC PIANO MUSIC]
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The moment that I saw
the complete eight-hour album,
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I listened to it, like,
over and over.
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00:03:36,387 --> 00:03:38,180
But then I stopped
listening to it.
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I wanted the experience
to be new again for me.
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After I booked my ticket,
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I made this Instagram post
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where it was like the gorgeous
cover photo of the moon
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and I was like... So I'm gonna
see this eight-and-a-half hour,
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204 movements,
classical composition
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and I think I made some joke
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that I'm just gonna feel
crushingly alone
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and cry the whole time,
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so that's what I'm expecting.
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I've tried not to have
too many expectations.
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Like, I saw the pictures
that he posted last night
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and I'm like, "Those cots
are really close together!"
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You know, I mean,
you have your own space,
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but, uh, usually
I'm much more of a loner
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as far as not being
so close to others.
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[WOMAN] I've never watched
something continuously
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for eight hours,
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so just hearing them warming up
has me pretty excited.
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[MAN] This is probably
the ideal way
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you want to experience
something like this,
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being around someone you care
about or just other people.
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I don't know how to describe it.
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00:05:00,221 --> 00:05:04,225
It's just kinda like...
It hits your soul.
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It just makes me feel like
connected to this world.
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[MAX] I guess what I was aiming for
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is this sense of connecting
to origins somehow
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and fundamentals.
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It's almost like, "Can we just
start over, please?"
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[MUSIC PLAYING THROUGH HEADPHONES]
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[MAX] Hi, hello.
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Welcome to this performance
of "Sleep",
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an eight-hour lullaby.
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I'm joined this evening
by the ACME Ensemble
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and Grace Davidson.
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[APPLAUSE]
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A few more thank-yous,
first of all to Chris Ekers
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for his wonderful sound,
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to Steve Abbott
for joining all the dots
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and especially to YULIA,
my creative partner,
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whose vision is
a big part of this piece.
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There are no rules. Um...
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Listen as you like,
sleep as you like.
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Maybe switch the phones off
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and enjoy the trip.
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We'll see you on the other side.
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[APPLAUSE]
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[ INSTRUMENTS TUNING UP]
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[SOFT, SOPORIFIC PIANO MUSIC]
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♪
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♪
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♪
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♪
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♪
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[SOFT STRING MUSIC JOINS IN]
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♪
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♪
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[YULIA] When we were younger,
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we had small children
and we had no money,
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00:12:44,226 --> 00:12:47,145
so, of course, when Max
went away to do his concerts,
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00:12:47,145 --> 00:12:51,566
I could never go
and so I would stay behind.
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It was really lovely
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when people started
streaming concerts
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because suddenly
I could listen in,
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so I started to,
every time he'd go away,
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I'd listen in to the concert
and see how, you know...
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You feel nervous for your
partner, you want it to go well,
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00:13:03,912 --> 00:13:05,372
you're interested
in how it goes,
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00:13:05,372 --> 00:13:09,876
you want to be there, so it was
my way of experiencing it.
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[MAX]
YULIA would be listening in.
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Of course, if I'm on the other side of the planet,
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it would be at some crazy hour
in the middle of the night.
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[YULIA] I'd be exhausted.
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You know, I'd been with the kids all day.
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00:13:19,928 --> 00:13:25,309
I was so tired, so I would
almost always fall asleep.
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And pretty soon, I realised
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that there's this incredible
thing that happens
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when you start just drifting in and out of this dreamy space.
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And kind of waking up
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and liminal spaces
would start to develop
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and you start to listen
in a totally different way
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to how you normally listen
to a CD
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or a disc or even a concert.
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And it becomes a...
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It can... It becomes a very emotional listening experience.
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So when Max would come back, I'd start to talk to him about this
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00:14:02,804 --> 00:14:06,308
and I was like, "We have
to do something with this
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00:14:06,308 --> 00:14:07,809
because this is
an incredible thing."
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00:14:07,809 --> 00:14:09,478
He said, "Well, it's funny you
should say that
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00:14:09,478 --> 00:14:12,814
because here's this piece I've
been working on since 1995."
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00:14:12,814 --> 00:14:15,734
And he starts getting out
these pieces of paper,
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00:14:15,734 --> 00:14:17,402
showing me these pieces
of paper and saying,
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00:14:17,402 --> 00:14:22,115
"I've been thinking about this
myself in a different form."
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00:14:24,493 --> 00:14:27,162
[MAX] We sort of got into
this conversation about
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00:14:27,162 --> 00:14:29,706
would it be interesting
to make a piece
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00:14:29,706 --> 00:14:33,460
which is in some way made
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00:14:33,460 --> 00:14:34,544
to exist in that space
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00:14:34,544 --> 00:14:37,047
or to kind of have
that sort of conversation
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00:14:37,047 --> 00:14:39,216
with, you know,
the sleeping mind?
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00:14:39,216 --> 00:14:42,427
You know, the sleeping mind is
as valid and valuable
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00:14:42,427 --> 00:14:44,846
and, in fact,
essential to us actually
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00:14:44,846 --> 00:14:47,516
in terms of building
our waking life.
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When we're sleeping,
we're not absent.
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00:14:50,060 --> 00:14:55,524
We're just... It's a different
kind of cognitive state.
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[YULIA] And so we brought these two ideas together really
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00:15:01,196 --> 00:15:03,865
and started to develop this idea
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00:15:03,865 --> 00:15:07,119
for the piece as it is now.
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00:15:07,786 --> 00:15:10,580
[SOFT PIANO MUSIC]
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♪
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[SOFT MELANCHOLIC VOCAL MUSIC]
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[MAX] Life is busy
and life is getting busier.
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I've never heard anyone say,
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00:15:55,792 --> 00:15:59,504
"Oh, things are just getting
so much slower."
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00:15:59,921 --> 00:16:01,923
Everything is always up.
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00:16:01,923 --> 00:16:03,884
It's moving forward.
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00:16:03,884 --> 00:16:06,011
That's how life works.
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00:16:06,011 --> 00:16:08,722
Things just speed up.
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00:16:09,681 --> 00:16:13,560
That, in a way,
suits corporations.
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00:16:13,560 --> 00:16:17,647
But does it suit individuals
as well?
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00:16:20,108 --> 00:16:21,902
I don't know.
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So I wanted to make a piece
which...
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It's got an element of a sort
of quiet protest about it.
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Just to kind of take a look
at this.
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And offer a landscape
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00:16:35,290 --> 00:16:38,293
to withdraw from that
for a minute,
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step off the wheel
and take stock.
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[SOFT MELANCHOLIC VOCAL MUSIC]
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[YULIA] it was a very big thing
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00:16:54,809 --> 00:16:58,688
to bring this into the world
and to get it actually made.
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That was a two,
two-and-a-half-year process,
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00:17:00,982 --> 00:17:02,943
something like that,
and during that period
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00:17:02,943 --> 00:17:05,737
when Max was composing,
I was starting to look around
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00:17:05,737 --> 00:17:07,364
for the kind of venues
we could go to,
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00:17:07,364 --> 00:17:12,244
what kind of ways we could talk
about this project to people.
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00:17:13,578 --> 00:17:17,082
[MAX] I always think Yulia's
the brains of the outfit.
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00:17:17,082 --> 00:17:20,293
She comes from anthropology
and film,
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00:17:20,293 --> 00:17:23,922
so her universe is visual,
performance,
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00:17:23,922 --> 00:17:27,008
storytelling
from that standpoint.
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00:17:27,050 --> 00:17:28,593
[YULIA] I was developing
this language
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00:17:28,593 --> 00:17:32,138
of talking about issues that
were really important to me.
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My family were refugees
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00:17:33,098 --> 00:17:38,895
and I wanted to really explore that from every possible angle.
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00:17:42,899 --> 00:17:45,235
One of the things that was
really important to me
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was that this piece
should be about community
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00:17:49,531 --> 00:17:51,616
and should be about connection.
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00:17:51,616 --> 00:17:55,120
Or at least providing a space
for it.
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Whether it happens or not,
I mean,
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00:17:58,665 --> 00:18:01,042
that's down
to an individual person.
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00:18:01,042 --> 00:18:02,502
It doesn't have to happen
either,
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00:18:02,502 --> 00:18:05,338
but we're missing that,
aren't we?
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00:18:07,215 --> 00:18:09,551
That was one of the very first
conversations we had.
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00:18:09,551 --> 00:18:12,345
We have this eight-hour piece.
Where does it go?
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00:18:12,345 --> 00:18:14,306
How do we stage it?
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00:18:14,306 --> 00:18:15,765
What happens with this piece
195
00:18:15,765 --> 00:18:17,726
in order to foster
that kind of environment
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00:18:17,726 --> 00:18:20,937
where something like that
can happen?
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00:18:26,943 --> 00:18:28,778
[WOMAN] Max and YULIA showed me drawings
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00:18:28,778 --> 00:18:35,118
of this concept of musicians
surrounded by sleeping people.
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I went with a friend
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00:18:37,454 --> 00:18:42,834
and all those strangers
sleeping together,
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00:18:42,834 --> 00:18:44,586
open postures,
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00:18:44,586 --> 00:18:48,673
somehow takes you away
from the individual details
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00:18:48,673 --> 00:18:50,717
of your own life.
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00:18:50,967 --> 00:18:53,845
A couple of friends said,
"This is very disturbing."
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00:18:53,845 --> 00:18:58,058
Some people couldn't imagine
being in a place like that.
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00:18:58,058 --> 00:19:01,102
But the people
I could connect to understood,
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00:19:01,144 --> 00:19:03,271
there's something
about hearing it
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00:19:03,271 --> 00:19:06,483
and not necessarily watching
the performance.
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00:19:06,483 --> 00:19:11,988
There's some deep memory of being a child and being sung to
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00:19:11,988 --> 00:19:14,658
when you're drifting off.
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00:19:16,743 --> 00:19:20,413
So it's such a tender offering.
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00:19:20,664 --> 00:19:24,209
[SOFT, HIGH-PITCHED VOCALS]
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00:19:33,593 --> 00:19:37,138
As a cathedral, we wanted
to have a kind of connection
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00:19:37,138 --> 00:19:40,350
with these problems
with refugees
215
00:19:40,350 --> 00:19:43,311
and, um...
and to make a connection
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00:19:43,311 --> 00:19:46,147
with an artwork, with music.
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00:19:47,023 --> 00:19:49,484
[MAN 1] it was
this sculpture by Koen Theys,
218
00:19:49,484 --> 00:19:53,488
with 12 bronze mattresses
where people slept,
219
00:19:53,488 --> 00:19:57,242
which helped us to have
this crazy idea
220
00:19:57,242 --> 00:19:59,911
of having "Sleep"
in our cathedral.
221
00:19:59,911 --> 00:20:04,541
And now we have
400 of these beds.
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00:20:08,169 --> 00:20:12,173
It was a very big unknown
for all of us
223
00:20:12,173 --> 00:20:14,342
who worked to prepare for it.
224
00:20:14,342 --> 00:20:17,178
At the same time,
there was this vibe
225
00:20:17,178 --> 00:20:20,306
of "this is something
very special",
226
00:20:20,306 --> 00:20:24,811
which has never happened
and probably never will again.
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00:20:26,563 --> 00:20:31,151
[YULIA] I think we've had
something like 250 enquiries
228
00:20:31,151 --> 00:20:32,110
for the show
229
00:20:32,110 --> 00:20:33,194
and I think it's about 18
230
00:20:33,194 --> 00:20:37,073
that actually
we've been able to put on.
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00:20:37,782 --> 00:20:41,119
Each show takes more or less
two years to pull off
232
00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:45,665
from the first conversations
to when they finally go on.
233
00:20:45,665 --> 00:20:48,501
For every venue, it's
a real labour of love as well.
234
00:20:48,501 --> 00:20:51,337
Yeah, so it's a big juggernaut
of a thing,
235
00:20:51,337 --> 00:20:53,047
but it's so worth it.
236
00:20:53,047 --> 00:20:55,717
[APPLAUSE]
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00:20:56,176 --> 00:20:58,762
Welcome to Max Richter's "Sleep"
238
00:20:58,762 --> 00:21:02,432
at Grand Park,
presented by the Music Center.
239
00:21:02,432 --> 00:21:05,226
Tonight's performance
is the first outdoor
240
00:21:05,268 --> 00:21:06,478
and the largest ever.
241
00:21:06,478 --> 00:21:10,148
We are hopefully unplugging
from our everyday life
242
00:21:10,148 --> 00:21:13,818
to experience
this beautiful concert together
243
00:21:13,818 --> 00:21:17,739
right in the heart
of down town LA.
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00:21:18,615 --> 00:21:22,160
[MAN 2] Max basically says,
"You can walk around,
245
00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:24,037
you can sit up,
you can lie down,
246
00:21:24,037 --> 00:21:26,623
you can disconnect,
you can sleep."
247
00:21:26,623 --> 00:21:31,544
And I think that freedom sort of
that Max wrote into the piece
248
00:21:31,544 --> 00:21:33,630
and into the presentation
of the piece,
249
00:21:33,630 --> 00:21:37,425
I thought it would get augmented
by putting it outdoors
250
00:21:37,425 --> 00:21:41,221
and sort of giving it
that additional freedom.
251
00:21:43,139 --> 00:21:46,017
[SOFT VOCAL SOUND]
252
00:21:58,404 --> 00:22:02,242
[YULIA] He was never interested
in talking to an audience
253
00:22:02,242 --> 00:22:05,787
of 100 people who know about classical music,
254
00:22:05,787 --> 00:22:11,251
so he engaged in a language which is a plain-spoken language
255
00:22:11,251 --> 00:22:14,254
because he wants to connect
to a lot of people
256
00:22:14,254 --> 00:22:17,507
and that's immediately
frowned on
257
00:22:17,507 --> 00:22:20,635
within a lot
of classical communities.
258
00:22:20,635 --> 00:22:23,638
If you're popular,
that can't be good.
259
00:22:23,638 --> 00:22:25,640
And obviously we weren't paying attention to any of that
260
00:22:25,640 --> 00:22:27,934
because we're not interested
in that conversation at all.
261
00:22:27,934 --> 00:22:30,228
Our conversation is about
talking to a lot of people
262
00:22:30,228 --> 00:22:35,149
and talking about a different
way of listening to music.
263
00:22:38,236 --> 00:22:39,821
[MAX]
There are precedent pieces.
264
00:22:39,821 --> 00:22:42,991
In Indian classical music
you have overnight ragas
265
00:22:42,991 --> 00:22:47,036
and there's gallery work
from the '60s of Fluxus
266
00:22:47,036 --> 00:22:48,788
and the Bach Goldberg Variations
267
00:22:48,788 --> 00:22:53,543
which were supposedly written
for overnight performance.
268
00:22:54,002 --> 00:22:55,336
It's not like sonic wallpaper
269
00:22:55,336 --> 00:22:58,172
which is just quietly bubbling
in the background.
270
00:22:58,172 --> 00:23:01,634
It's an artwork
and it's to be experienced,
271
00:23:01,634 --> 00:23:04,721
not necessarily
to be listened to,
272
00:23:04,721 --> 00:23:05,763
but to be experienced
273
00:23:05,763 --> 00:23:09,684
in the way that we experience
a landscape, we're in it.
274
00:23:20,778 --> 00:23:23,615
[GENTLE AMBIENT MUSIC]
275
00:23:25,074 --> 00:23:30,079
[YULIA] People are free to do
what they want in the show.
276
00:23:30,079 --> 00:23:31,372
We didn't want too many rules
277
00:23:31,372 --> 00:23:34,292
and that's reflected in all the concerts. They're all different.
278
00:23:34,292 --> 00:23:37,837
In Berlin, everyone shoved
their beds together
279
00:23:37,837 --> 00:23:41,382
and you had families
all sleeping side by side.
280
00:23:41,382 --> 00:23:46,888
It offers something where people can feel cocooned, safe somehow.
281
00:23:48,890 --> 00:23:52,685
[MAX] it's not a performance
in the traditional sense.
282
00:23:52,685 --> 00:23:53,728
If you play a gig,
283
00:23:53,728 --> 00:23:56,898
you're projecting this material
really strongly,
284
00:23:56,898 --> 00:23:59,400
you're trying to tell a story...
285
00:24:01,027 --> 00:24:04,572
...whereas in the case
of a "Sleep" performance,
286
00:24:04,572 --> 00:24:07,158
the dynamics are
completely different.
287
00:24:07,158 --> 00:24:11,454
Those people sleeping
are the story.
288
00:24:14,374 --> 00:24:19,629
[WOMAN 1] 10:28.
To sleep, perchance to dream.
289
00:24:19,712 --> 00:24:21,589
Sombre. Life noises.
290
00:24:21,589 --> 00:24:26,052
The wild sirens, chattering of people checking in
291
00:24:26,052 --> 00:24:27,428
melts with the music,
292
00:24:27,428 --> 00:24:29,973
creates a tone
like in the movies
293
00:24:29,973 --> 00:24:33,434
after something serious
has happened.
294
00:24:45,697 --> 00:24:46,656
I heard about the concert
295
00:24:46,656 --> 00:24:49,409
and I was like, "I don't think
my wife would want to go.
296
00:24:49,409 --> 00:24:51,327
It sounds too weird."
Then I told her about it.
297
00:24:51,327 --> 00:24:55,039
She's like, "It's sleep and
it's music? What's not to like?"
298
00:24:55,039 --> 00:24:58,251
[WOMAN 2] I was surprised
she waited as long as she did
299
00:24:58,251 --> 00:24:59,377
to say something about it.
300
00:24:59,377 --> 00:25:02,422
I guess she had known about it
for a while.
301
00:25:07,093 --> 00:25:09,345
[WOMAN 1] I was really happy
to see her asleep.
302
00:25:09,345 --> 00:25:10,805
Yeah, I was a little worried
303
00:25:10,805 --> 00:25:13,141
that because we were
out in the open
304
00:25:13,141 --> 00:25:15,101
among all these strangers
that...
305
00:25:15,101 --> 00:25:17,270
- And the bugs.
- And the bugs.
306
00:25:17,270 --> 00:25:20,023
...she was gonna end up being
not happy,
307
00:25:20,023 --> 00:25:22,483
but apparently,
her body was like,
308
00:25:22,483 --> 00:25:24,986
"No, I can go to sleep now."
309
00:25:24,986 --> 00:25:25,820
Like, I zonked out,
310
00:25:25,820 --> 00:25:30,450
like, pretty much 15, 20 minutes
into the concert, I was out.
311
00:25:30,450 --> 00:25:31,993
Legit, like, all night.
312
00:25:31,993 --> 00:25:34,954
- Yeah.
- Which is surprising.
313
00:25:36,205 --> 00:25:39,125
Being a woman
in our relationship,
314
00:25:39,125 --> 00:25:42,587
you are kind of on guard,
always watching your back,
315
00:25:42,587 --> 00:25:45,840
you don't know who's looking
at you, what they're thinking,
316
00:25:45,840 --> 00:25:50,178
what they're thinking of you
and how you're making them feel.
317
00:25:50,178 --> 00:25:55,308
I feel like I always...
always feel, like, unsafe.
318
00:26:00,813 --> 00:26:02,607
You obviously have
something in common
319
00:26:02,607 --> 00:26:07,487
'cause you've all come together
around this event.
320
00:26:07,737 --> 00:26:09,447
It's just fascinating.
You see people.
321
00:26:09,447 --> 00:26:12,742
You're like, "I wonder would we
be hanging out together?
322
00:26:12,742 --> 00:26:14,410
Would we be buddies
if I went over
323
00:26:14,410 --> 00:26:17,663
and struck up a conversation
with you right now?"
324
00:26:17,663 --> 00:26:22,502
Like, yeah, you did feel
kind of safe and protected.
325
00:26:50,154 --> 00:26:51,989
[MAX]
The first one was memorable
326
00:26:51,989 --> 00:26:54,283
in that it was
just so terrifying
327
00:26:54,283 --> 00:26:57,995
because we just did not know
how to play this piece.
328
00:26:57,995 --> 00:27:01,249
How do you rehearse
something that size?
329
00:27:01,249 --> 00:27:04,502
The gallery is full
of these amazing curios
330
00:27:04,502 --> 00:27:06,546
of 19th century science.
331
00:27:06,546 --> 00:27:09,549
It seemed in a way
an appropriate place to do it
332
00:27:09,549 --> 00:27:13,261
because "Sleep" has
some of its origins
333
00:27:13,261 --> 00:27:16,597
in, I guess, sleep science.
334
00:27:17,265 --> 00:27:18,224
[PLAYS A FEW PIANO NOTES]
335
00:27:18,224 --> 00:27:21,936
[MAX] We rehearsed it overnight
and then we had the next day,
336
00:27:21,936 --> 00:27:26,399
and I was up fixing the parts,
all the mistakes I discovered,
337
00:27:26,399 --> 00:27:28,860
all the technical stuff.
338
00:27:29,068 --> 00:27:32,738
And then we played overnight
live on Radio 3.
339
00:27:32,738 --> 00:27:35,241
They broadcast it
all night long,
340
00:27:35,241 --> 00:27:38,870
so it was kind of
a baptism of fire.
341
00:27:40,371 --> 00:27:42,748
I was very lucky to be invited
342
00:27:42,748 --> 00:27:44,834
to be one of the people
to fall to sleep
343
00:27:44,834 --> 00:27:48,588
to his music
at the Wellcome Foundation.
344
00:27:49,755 --> 00:27:51,215
I think it broke a world record
345
00:27:51,215 --> 00:27:55,386
for the longest continuous
piece on the radio.
346
00:27:55,678 --> 00:27:57,805
Once the piece kicked off
it was clear
347
00:27:57,805 --> 00:28:00,766
that there was something wrong
with the piano
348
00:28:00,766 --> 00:28:01,767
that Max was playing at,
349
00:28:01,767 --> 00:28:05,855
that there was some really tinny sound coming out of that.
350
00:28:05,855 --> 00:28:08,441
And then one of the crew
crept up,
351
00:28:08,441 --> 00:28:11,235
climbed on top
of this grand piano
352
00:28:11,235 --> 00:28:13,529
and started trying
to investigate what...
353
00:28:13,529 --> 00:28:15,573
But the piece had
to keep on going.
354
00:28:15,573 --> 00:28:16,657
This was a live broadcast
355
00:28:16,657 --> 00:28:18,534
of this piece that was gonna
go on for eight hours
356
00:28:18,534 --> 00:28:22,788
and there was no way we were
stopping and starting again.
357
00:28:24,665 --> 00:28:27,919
[MAX] We got through it and
it had a real kind of energy,
358
00:28:27,919 --> 00:28:32,298
it had a real sort of
gravitational force around it.
359
00:28:32,298 --> 00:28:35,218
It just seemed
to kind of affect people,
360
00:28:35,218 --> 00:28:38,137
so that was exciting.
361
00:28:40,223 --> 00:28:43,559
My work comes
out of the polarity
362
00:28:43,559 --> 00:28:45,937
between a very straightforward,
classical,
363
00:28:45,937 --> 00:28:50,608
conservatoire, university,
composer education.
364
00:28:50,608 --> 00:28:54,570
And my enthusiasm
for electronic music,
365
00:28:54,570 --> 00:28:57,949
ambient music,
the studio as instrument.
366
00:28:57,949 --> 00:29:00,826
[PIANO MUSIC]
367
00:29:07,375 --> 00:29:12,088
It has its roots
in the kind of Renaissance
368
00:29:12,088 --> 00:29:16,926
where music was structured
very geometrically.
369
00:29:18,344 --> 00:29:24,183
It's also a rejection
of super-complicated modernism
370
00:29:24,183 --> 00:29:25,351
which I was schooled in,
371
00:29:25,351 --> 00:29:28,729
but which I felt
had really lost its connection
372
00:29:28,771 --> 00:29:31,065
with a broader audience.
373
00:29:31,148 --> 00:29:33,859
I felt like I wanted
to build a language
374
00:29:33,859 --> 00:29:36,696
which had a kind of directness.
375
00:29:40,700 --> 00:29:42,285
[NEW SPEAKER]
When Max and I first met,
376
00:29:42,285 --> 00:29:45,579
I was giving a talk
about maths and symmetry.
377
00:29:45,579 --> 00:29:48,666
I think there was
an immediate connection.
378
00:29:48,666 --> 00:29:51,252
There's always been
an immediate connection
379
00:29:51,252 --> 00:29:53,337
between maths and music.
380
00:29:54,213 --> 00:29:55,298
[MAX] Like every piece,
381
00:29:55,298 --> 00:29:58,843
it's a big series
of "what if" questions.
382
00:29:58,843 --> 00:30:03,180
I started thinking
about what kind of music
383
00:30:03,180 --> 00:30:05,474
would I want if I was sleeping?
384
00:30:05,474 --> 00:30:08,352
And I started thinking
I would like to feel
385
00:30:08,352 --> 00:30:13,232
that if I wake up in the middle,
I want to know where I am.
386
00:30:13,607 --> 00:30:17,778
[NEW SPEAKER] Mathematics is actually the science of patterns
387
00:30:17,820 --> 00:30:20,656
and music is
the art of patterns.
388
00:30:20,656 --> 00:30:22,325
And that's the connection.
389
00:30:22,325 --> 00:30:26,537
So you take something simple
like the Fibonacci numbers.
390
00:30:26,537 --> 00:30:28,998
So these are numbers which go:
391
00:30:28,998 --> 00:30:30,958
1, 1, 2, 3,
392
00:30:30,958 --> 00:30:33,794
5, 8, 13.
393
00:30:33,794 --> 00:30:34,795
You get the next number
394
00:30:34,795 --> 00:30:37,965
by adding the two
previous numbers together.
395
00:30:38,049 --> 00:30:42,053
These have a natural growth which is what nature uses a lot,
396
00:30:42,053 --> 00:30:44,472
so the number of petals
on a flower
397
00:30:44,472 --> 00:30:46,223
is invariably
a Fibonacci number,
398
00:30:46,223 --> 00:30:50,770
the way that shells grow
or pine cones or pineapples...
399
00:30:50,770 --> 00:30:54,106
You'll see these numbers
all over the place.
400
00:30:54,106 --> 00:30:56,984
But these are also numbers
that composers love using,
401
00:30:56,984 --> 00:31:01,947
so you see Debussy, Bartók
very deliberately using them
402
00:31:01,947 --> 00:31:06,827
to give a sense of growth
in their pieces.
403
00:31:08,037 --> 00:31:11,957
One of the things
that connects the world of art
404
00:31:11,957 --> 00:31:14,168
and the world of mathematics
and science as well
405
00:31:14,168 --> 00:31:18,381
is that all of these
are actually our response
406
00:31:18,381 --> 00:31:20,257
to the natural world around us.
407
00:31:20,257 --> 00:31:24,345
They're our language trying
to help us navigate our way
408
00:31:24,345 --> 00:31:27,973
through the kind of chaos
that we live in.
409
00:31:30,142 --> 00:31:33,396
[MAX] I felt like slightly in freefall when I was writing it.
410
00:31:33,396 --> 00:31:37,441
I was like, "I don't really know
if this is gonna work."
411
00:31:37,441 --> 00:31:39,860
When you're composing,
the notes you're writing,
412
00:31:39,902 --> 00:31:42,196
you're very much writing them
in relation to everything
413
00:31:42,196 --> 00:31:46,283
that's happened already and everything that's gonna happen.
414
00:31:50,329 --> 00:31:52,206
When there's a structure
that big,
415
00:31:52,206 --> 00:31:54,959
you can't hold it all
in your mind any more,
416
00:31:54,959 --> 00:31:58,421
so you really have
to just write the moment,
417
00:31:58,421 --> 00:31:59,255
which is freaky
418
00:31:59,255 --> 00:32:02,675
and goes against all
your compositional training.
419
00:32:03,175 --> 00:32:07,471
When you're recording
sections of 30 or 40 minutes,
420
00:32:07,471 --> 00:32:13,102
you can't do that on tape and it's eight hours of multi-track.
421
00:32:13,727 --> 00:32:16,856
So it broke the machine
in all sorts of different ways
422
00:32:16,856 --> 00:32:20,526
and we had to invent
new ways of working.
423
00:32:20,526 --> 00:32:24,405
For me, that is also
the exciting thing
424
00:32:24,405 --> 00:32:25,406
about creative work.
425
00:32:25,406 --> 00:32:28,534
You've got this space
that you know how to do that.
426
00:32:28,534 --> 00:32:32,413
I know how to write
Max Richter music
427
00:32:32,413 --> 00:32:34,540
up to this point.
428
00:32:35,416 --> 00:32:38,669
But actually "Sleep" is stepping
out of that pool of light
429
00:32:38,669 --> 00:32:41,338
into something else,
into the dark
430
00:32:41,338 --> 00:32:44,633
and just finding
what's out there.
431
00:32:54,810 --> 00:32:57,730
[GENTLE AMBIENT MUSIC]
432
00:33:29,303 --> 00:33:31,305
♪
433
00:33:56,330 --> 00:33:58,832
♪
434
00:34:09,718 --> 00:34:10,636
I always describe it
435
00:34:10,636 --> 00:34:13,973
as if all the happiness
had left the world,
436
00:34:13,973 --> 00:34:15,224
but I was good with it,
437
00:34:15,224 --> 00:34:18,686
as if there was nothing else
to lose.
438
00:34:22,731 --> 00:34:25,859
Especially if I'm full
of anguish,
439
00:34:25,859 --> 00:34:27,027
if I need to relax
440
00:34:27,069 --> 00:34:28,696
or I need to stop worrying
441
00:34:28,696 --> 00:34:31,949
about what's gonna happen
in the future.
442
00:35:02,521 --> 00:35:04,273
Max's music...
443
00:35:04,273 --> 00:35:10,362
cleans your soul
if you want to say it that way.
444
00:35:15,868 --> 00:35:19,330
It is as if
he had found something
445
00:35:19,330 --> 00:35:22,958
that has already existed for,
I don't know,
446
00:35:22,958 --> 00:35:24,918
thousands of years,
447
00:35:24,918 --> 00:35:27,087
that is familiar to humans
448
00:35:27,129 --> 00:35:29,381
like the sound of the sea
449
00:35:29,381 --> 00:35:32,259
or the grass with the wind.
450
00:35:32,259 --> 00:35:35,888
It is something
that makes us soothe and relax
451
00:35:35,888 --> 00:35:41,435
and, and... and makes you feel
that everything is OK.
452
00:35:45,606 --> 00:35:48,025
As if all humans spoke
the same language
453
00:35:48,025 --> 00:35:52,071
and that we have to translate it
to English or Spanish
454
00:35:52,071 --> 00:35:54,698
or whatever language you speak.
455
00:35:58,494 --> 00:36:00,120
Everybody can understand it
456
00:36:00,120 --> 00:36:03,749
and you don't need to be
a special kind of person
457
00:36:03,749 --> 00:36:09,254
to know what he wants to say and
then the feelings are immediate.
458
00:36:13,008 --> 00:36:19,056
It was not new. It was as if
I had been there all my life.
459
00:36:20,057 --> 00:36:22,101
It was just like a continuation
460
00:36:22,101 --> 00:36:26,605
of something
that you already know very well.
461
00:36:27,898 --> 00:36:29,650
Like kissing your mother
462
00:36:29,650 --> 00:36:34,988
or being with someone
you love very much.
463
00:37:01,515 --> 00:37:04,226
[AMBIENT MUSIC]
464
00:37:11,859 --> 00:37:14,611
[MUSIC FADES]
465
00:37:15,821 --> 00:37:19,032
[MAX] I talked to a friend
of mine, David Eagleman,
466
00:37:19,032 --> 00:37:20,075
he's a neuroscientist,
467
00:37:20,075 --> 00:37:23,662
just to check that my instincts
about sleep music
468
00:37:23,662 --> 00:37:26,123
were not actually stupid.
469
00:37:27,291 --> 00:37:29,042
He pointed me at some research
470
00:37:29,042 --> 00:37:33,380
about how sound and
a sleeping mind can join up.
471
00:37:37,092 --> 00:37:38,093
[DAVID] To my knowledge,
472
00:37:38,093 --> 00:37:39,678
it's the first time
that somebody has said,
473
00:37:39,678 --> 00:37:42,556
"All right, we're gonna write
eight hours of music
474
00:37:42,556 --> 00:37:44,516
and we're gonna try to do things
475
00:37:44,516 --> 00:37:47,978
to keep people
in a state of sleep."
476
00:37:47,978 --> 00:37:50,314
So one of the first things
that Max and I talked about
477
00:37:50,314 --> 00:37:56,445
was about repetition of music
during sleep and how...
478
00:37:56,445 --> 00:37:57,988
Essentially what happens
in the brain
479
00:37:57,988 --> 00:38:01,241
is you've got lots of cells,
86 billion neurons,
480
00:38:01,241 --> 00:38:02,993
and they're all doing
their own thing,
481
00:38:02,993 --> 00:38:06,413
but when you fall asleep,
they come into concert more
482
00:38:06,413 --> 00:38:07,706
and move as a group
483
00:38:07,706 --> 00:38:11,126
which is why if you put
electrodes on the head,
484
00:38:11,126 --> 00:38:12,711
you can measure the slow wave
485
00:38:12,711 --> 00:38:14,671
happening in the brain
during sleep.
486
00:38:14,671 --> 00:38:17,090
So we talked
about the kind of rhythms
487
00:38:17,090 --> 00:38:20,093
that would be appropriate
for that sort of thing,
488
00:38:20,093 --> 00:38:21,470
about the kind of repetition
489
00:38:21,470 --> 00:38:25,349
that sleep represents,
the sleeping brain.
490
00:38:26,391 --> 00:38:30,229
So Max set out to make sure
that the music he was writing
491
00:38:30,229 --> 00:38:34,274
was sort of, you know,
rhythmically consonant
492
00:38:34,274 --> 00:38:36,860
with slow-wave sleep.
493
00:38:45,160 --> 00:38:47,287
[MAX] Sleep has
a very particular flavour.
494
00:38:47,287 --> 00:38:49,748
It's a very particular colour,
right,
495
00:38:49,748 --> 00:38:51,834
because it's all
about the bottom
496
00:38:51,834 --> 00:38:53,710
of the frequency spectrum.
497
00:38:53,710 --> 00:38:58,757
And almost all of sleep happens
from, like, 100 hertz down
498
00:38:58,757 --> 00:39:03,512
which is a space
which isn't really available
499
00:39:03,512 --> 00:39:06,056
with acoustic instruments.
500
00:39:09,184 --> 00:39:10,227
In the natural world,
501
00:39:10,227 --> 00:39:12,020
we hear those frequencies
in thunderstorms.
502
00:39:12,020 --> 00:39:14,398
- [THUNDER RUMBLING]
- And those sorts of things.
503
00:39:14,398 --> 00:39:17,734
And that's in a way why they have a magical quality
504
00:39:17,734 --> 00:39:20,487
because we can't actually
really make those sounds
505
00:39:20,487 --> 00:39:22,865
with acoustic instruments
very easily,
506
00:39:22,865 --> 00:39:25,826
or we can but only very quiet.
507
00:39:27,244 --> 00:39:29,329
And for a piece to be structured
508
00:39:29,329 --> 00:39:33,500
around that bit
of the frequency spectrum
509
00:39:33,500 --> 00:39:34,960
is interesting to do
510
00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:37,296
which is why the synthesisers
are so incredible
511
00:39:37,296 --> 00:39:41,300
because they unlock
that bit of the spectrum.
512
00:39:45,637 --> 00:39:48,932
[PLAYS A VARIETY
OF ELECTRONIC NOTES]
513
00:39:50,976 --> 00:39:58,275
I was about 13 when I first heard electronic music, really.
514
00:39:58,483 --> 00:40:01,403
[PLAYS ELECTRONIC NOTES]
515
00:40:01,486 --> 00:40:06,700
On a TV show they used
Kraftwerk's "Autobahn"
516
00:40:06,700 --> 00:40:08,827
and when I heard the opening,
517
00:40:08,827 --> 00:40:13,373
I mean, it was like being struck
by lightning for me.
518
00:40:13,373 --> 00:40:16,501
[PULSATING ELECTRONIC SOUNDS]
519
00:40:21,798 --> 00:40:25,677
You feel like you're interacting
with a thing which has a life
520
00:40:25,677 --> 00:40:27,971
because the sound
is never the same.
521
00:40:27,971 --> 00:40:28,931
You know, the next day,
522
00:40:29,014 --> 00:40:32,517
even the same patch sounds
different. Very organic.
523
00:40:33,810 --> 00:40:36,772
[PLAYS ELECTRONIC NOTE]
524
00:40:38,815 --> 00:40:39,983
I set out on this mission
525
00:40:39,983 --> 00:40:42,277
to try and discover,
A, what this sound was
526
00:40:42,277 --> 00:40:45,322
and B, how could I get my hands on it?
527
00:40:46,365 --> 00:40:51,745
And at that time, a synthesiser
cost as much as a house.
528
00:40:52,245 --> 00:40:53,830
I got schematics
529
00:40:53,830 --> 00:40:57,292
and a soldering iron
and bags of components
530
00:40:57,292 --> 00:41:00,837
and just started in my bedroom
building synthesisers
531
00:41:00,837 --> 00:41:05,050
and, you know, just tried
to make those sounds.
532
00:41:05,509 --> 00:41:10,389
And that went sort of together
with studying academic music.
533
00:41:10,389 --> 00:41:13,350
I always felt that was
quite natural, really,
534
00:41:13,350 --> 00:41:15,435
those two things.
535
00:41:15,644 --> 00:41:17,854
[ELECTRONIC MUSIC]
536
00:41:17,854 --> 00:41:23,819
The way the music is made is
quite uncharacteristic for me.
537
00:41:24,695 --> 00:41:30,617
It has a lot of affirmation
in the way it's structured.
538
00:41:31,868 --> 00:41:33,078
It's sort of asking a question
539
00:41:33,078 --> 00:41:36,665
and then giving you the answer
that you want.
540
00:41:36,665 --> 00:41:40,210
It feels good as it goes by
because of that.
541
00:41:40,210 --> 00:41:43,338
So you kind of know where you're going all the time
542
00:41:43,338 --> 00:41:44,756
and then it goes there
543
00:41:44,756 --> 00:41:48,802
which is like, you know,
not what happens in real life.
544
00:41:48,802 --> 00:41:55,559
So it's a wish fulfilment for
"if only life were like this".
545
00:42:03,108 --> 00:42:05,777
[FAINT RUSTLING]
546
00:42:09,656 --> 00:42:12,325
[BIRDS CRY]
547
00:42:21,501 --> 00:42:24,421
[RUSTLING GETS LOUDER]
548
00:42:30,761 --> 00:42:32,471
Look at that, Max.
549
00:42:32,471 --> 00:42:33,889
It's really beautiful.
550
00:42:33,889 --> 00:42:36,516
[MAX] It's pretty awesome, yeah.
551
00:42:36,641 --> 00:42:38,602
[YULIA] The thing I find
that's so incredible
552
00:42:38,602 --> 00:42:41,396
is when you're sitting
in your office or studio
553
00:42:41,396 --> 00:42:44,775
and you're trying
to conjure up this whole world,
554
00:42:44,775 --> 00:42:46,526
and then you come out here
555
00:42:46,526 --> 00:42:49,613
and it just kind of pours
out of you, doesn't it?
556
00:42:49,613 --> 00:42:51,656
We met for the first time twice.
557
00:42:51,656 --> 00:42:53,658
[CHUCKLES]
558
00:42:55,118 --> 00:42:56,661
It was the Edinburgh Festival
559
00:42:56,661 --> 00:43:02,084
and there was a performance
of the Mahabharata,
560
00:43:02,084 --> 00:43:03,960
you know, this wonderful epic.
561
00:43:03,960 --> 00:43:06,421
So there's like
about 100 people on the stage
562
00:43:06,421 --> 00:43:09,257
and about 11 of us
in the audience.
563
00:43:09,257 --> 00:43:10,467
I'm sitting there in this thing
564
00:43:10,467 --> 00:43:15,097
and I keep kind of looking
at this woman on the stage.
565
00:43:15,097 --> 00:43:18,391
And I'm just like,
"Wow, she looks amazing!
566
00:43:18,391 --> 00:43:20,477
I'd really love
to get to know her."
567
00:43:20,477 --> 00:43:21,812
And then I walked
out of the theatre
568
00:43:21,812 --> 00:43:23,563
and I was like, "You're never
gonna see her again,
569
00:43:23,563 --> 00:43:27,150
just get over it, forget about
it, get on with your life."
570
00:43:27,150 --> 00:43:29,778
[YULIA]
And I love that phase so much
571
00:43:29,778 --> 00:43:31,404
when everything
is possible still,
572
00:43:31,404 --> 00:43:34,866
when there's nothing in the way
and everything's just...
573
00:43:34,866 --> 00:43:38,203
Then we met again at a theatre
574
00:43:38,203 --> 00:43:41,706
that I was involved with
and YULIA was involved with.
575
00:43:41,706 --> 00:43:43,667
I was working in
a theatre company for a while.
576
00:43:43,667 --> 00:43:47,420
That's where I met Max because
I gave him his first job.
577
00:43:47,420 --> 00:43:50,715
[MAX] Like a sort of energy
exchange...
578
00:43:50,715 --> 00:43:51,967
So we were just chatting away
579
00:43:51,967 --> 00:43:54,427
in the back of the theatre
basically
580
00:43:54,427 --> 00:43:57,556
while we were supposed
to be working.
581
00:43:57,681 --> 00:43:59,141
That kind of unmade works
582
00:43:59,141 --> 00:44:01,226
and works without any mistakes
in them.
583
00:44:01,226 --> 00:44:03,228
[YULIA] Yeah.
[SHE LAUGHS]
584
00:44:03,228 --> 00:44:04,729
- [MAX] And that's...
- [YULIA] So exciting.
585
00:44:04,729 --> 00:44:08,692
[YULIA] When we first met, that was what drew us together,
586
00:44:08,692 --> 00:44:10,944
I think, was talking.
587
00:44:10,944 --> 00:44:12,112
[MAX] Yeah, we were just like...
588
00:44:12,112 --> 00:44:16,700
We just talked about life,
the universe and everything.
589
00:44:17,367 --> 00:44:19,369
And that was that.
590
00:44:21,997 --> 00:44:25,333
I just thought I'd just met
the most interesting
591
00:44:25,333 --> 00:44:30,172
and kind of kindest
and most thoughtful person.
592
00:44:30,714 --> 00:44:33,341
Like, I still think that.
593
00:44:37,470 --> 00:44:39,723
[YULIA] It's tough to make enough money
594
00:44:39,723 --> 00:44:40,849
to feed three kids as an artist,
595
00:44:40,849 --> 00:44:46,146
but it's also been an incredibly
interesting journey.
596
00:44:46,646 --> 00:44:51,151
We both had quite complicated
childhoods in different ways.
597
00:44:51,151 --> 00:44:56,448
And there is a flavour to that
that affects your whole life,
598
00:44:56,448 --> 00:45:01,786
so one of the things
that was very comforting
599
00:45:01,786 --> 00:45:03,038
and easy for us together
600
00:45:03,038 --> 00:45:04,414
was the fact that we shared that
601
00:45:04,414 --> 00:45:08,960
and, in a way, that's another
lifelong journey, isn't it,
602
00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:11,171
is processing that.
603
00:45:11,254 --> 00:45:12,339
And if you're kind of shy
604
00:45:12,339 --> 00:45:16,801
and poetic like he was,
then you do that through music.
605
00:45:16,801 --> 00:45:20,096
[HE PLAYS GENTLE PIANO PIECE]
606
00:45:22,015 --> 00:45:23,975
[MAX] I started making records
607
00:45:23,975 --> 00:45:28,271
and I made "Memoryhouse"
in 2002.
608
00:45:28,271 --> 00:45:31,107
It was almost like
a series of questions
609
00:45:31,107 --> 00:45:37,072
to see if a language could do all these things I wanted to do.
610
00:45:37,864 --> 00:45:42,202
And kind of no one heard
that record.
611
00:45:42,410 --> 00:45:43,703
I mean, other musicians heard it
612
00:45:43,703 --> 00:45:47,832
and it had a kind of a little,
tiny, culty sort of audience.
613
00:45:47,832 --> 00:45:50,919
But, you know, the record label was shut down.
614
00:45:50,919 --> 00:45:52,837
We never got to play it.
615
00:45:52,837 --> 00:45:54,965
Nothing happened.
616
00:46:00,595 --> 00:46:03,098
It really took a while,
years and years and years,
617
00:46:03,098 --> 00:46:05,684
before anyone really
paid attention to...
618
00:46:05,684 --> 00:46:10,230
You know, the number of times
we had to, like, go to Plan B.
619
00:46:10,230 --> 00:46:12,983
We were, like,
moving house randomly.
620
00:46:12,983 --> 00:46:15,360
You know,
it was just very chaotic.
621
00:46:15,360 --> 00:46:20,156
I mean, it's tough. It's tough to make a living. It really is.
622
00:46:21,700 --> 00:46:26,621
Trying to, you know, make records to a high standard
623
00:46:26,621 --> 00:46:30,583
with real musicians on them,
it costs money
624
00:46:30,583 --> 00:46:32,711
which I didn't have.
625
00:46:32,711 --> 00:46:35,297
I remember at
the "Blue Notebooks" sessions,
626
00:46:35,297 --> 00:46:37,382
we recorded it in one day.
627
00:46:37,382 --> 00:46:40,427
One afternoon, in fact,
with the strings,
628
00:46:40,427 --> 00:46:42,178
cos that's the money we had.
629
00:46:42,178 --> 00:46:46,057
And I remember trying
to get home from a session
630
00:46:46,057 --> 00:46:49,769
and not being able to get
any money out of the bank
631
00:46:49,769 --> 00:46:51,896
because we had no money.
632
00:46:55,442 --> 00:46:59,738
[YULIA] That's the constant question for artists, isn't it?
633
00:46:59,738 --> 00:47:01,906
Do you persevere?
634
00:47:03,366 --> 00:47:05,076
When he did
"Vivaldi Recomposed",
635
00:47:05,076 --> 00:47:07,787
he was still walking
40, 60 minutes across town
636
00:47:07,829 --> 00:47:10,206
to interviews because
we couldn't afford the fare
637
00:47:10,206 --> 00:47:11,916
and we certainly went
through many years
638
00:47:11,916 --> 00:47:15,962
where we would feed the children
rather than ourselves.
639
00:47:16,796 --> 00:47:19,674
[CONTINUES GENTLE PIECE]
640
00:47:20,675 --> 00:47:25,597
I mean, most people do not make
a living in any art form,
641
00:47:25,597 --> 00:47:26,556
so what do you do
642
00:47:26,556 --> 00:47:30,435
when you're faced with that
and you have children?
643
00:47:30,977 --> 00:47:34,105
You're so responsible
for these little people
644
00:47:34,105 --> 00:47:37,108
and you can't muck it up.
645
00:47:37,108 --> 00:47:38,777
[LAUGHS]
646
00:47:39,319 --> 00:47:42,655
[GENTLE PIANO PLAYING]
647
00:47:51,289 --> 00:47:56,795
Not bad, Al! Only played that
all summer. Pretty nice.
648
00:47:56,795 --> 00:47:58,338
I got that one wrong.
I didn't do that one.
649
00:47:58,338 --> 00:48:02,342
Yeah, but you did it the same
both times, so it's cool.
650
00:48:02,592 --> 00:48:04,010
That was really nice.
651
00:48:04,010 --> 00:48:06,137
Really nice.
652
00:48:07,347 --> 00:48:11,601
[MAX] I mean, I didn't support
the family for years.
653
00:48:11,726 --> 00:48:12,852
We just kind of scratched by.
654
00:48:12,894 --> 00:48:16,940
And I think if I had been able to imagine doing anything else,
655
00:48:16,940 --> 00:48:19,234
I probably would have.
656
00:48:32,664 --> 00:48:33,873
[YULIA] Eventually, I got ill,
657
00:48:33,873 --> 00:48:35,417
because I was just so
malnourished.
658
00:48:35,417 --> 00:48:38,962
You just think you're somehow
invincible, don't you?
659
00:48:38,962 --> 00:48:40,004
And you keep going.
660
00:48:40,004 --> 00:48:43,550
Your body's showing you
all the signs of,
661
00:48:43,550 --> 00:48:44,551
"You can stop now,"
662
00:48:44,551 --> 00:48:46,803
and you go, "No, no, it's OK.
I can keep going."
663
00:48:46,803 --> 00:48:51,433
Obviously, you can't in the end,
so I did become quite sick.
664
00:48:51,599 --> 00:48:55,520
[MAX] I guess it's the first
time I'd really thought about
665
00:48:55,520 --> 00:49:00,859
how we're living our lives,
how I'm... what I'm doing.
666
00:49:01,776 --> 00:49:03,987
I mean, of course it's...
You know,
667
00:49:03,987 --> 00:49:05,572
the fact of our mortality
is real,
668
00:49:05,572 --> 00:49:09,075
but it's only real
when it's real, you know,
669
00:49:09,075 --> 00:49:10,660
because we keep it away.
670
00:49:10,660 --> 00:49:14,247
We keep those thoughts away
by doing other things.
671
00:49:16,291 --> 00:49:21,921
Quite a big bit of thinking
about what to, you know...
672
00:49:21,921 --> 00:49:23,798
what those things mean,
673
00:49:23,798 --> 00:49:25,842
but then do what, you know?
674
00:49:25,842 --> 00:49:30,472
Give up and do what?
I don't know.
675
00:49:36,936 --> 00:49:41,566
I guess things do add up
over time, you know.
676
00:49:42,233 --> 00:49:48,531
And "Blue Notebooks" did sort of catch people's ears somehow.
677
00:49:48,615 --> 00:49:52,660
It just seemed to...
It started something.
678
00:49:52,744 --> 00:49:56,748
I mean, we got the opportunity
to premiere "Memoryhouse"
679
00:49:56,748 --> 00:49:58,541
ten years after it was released,
680
00:49:58,541 --> 00:50:01,127
which we did in the Barbican
in London.
681
00:50:01,127 --> 00:50:04,881
The place was full and it was
like, you know, a love-in.
682
00:50:04,881 --> 00:50:07,175
It was like a homecoming.
683
00:50:07,175 --> 00:50:09,677
There was something wonderful
about that, you know.
684
00:50:09,677 --> 00:50:14,807
To just kind of keep going and ten years later here we are.
685
00:50:18,520 --> 00:50:21,564
[YULIA] Writing a piece like
"Sleep" takes over two years.
686
00:50:21,564 --> 00:50:25,235
So those two years
have to be funded.
687
00:50:25,443 --> 00:50:29,489
And the way we found
our way through eventually
688
00:50:29,489 --> 00:50:32,325
was we came up with
a little formula, actually,
689
00:50:32,325 --> 00:50:33,910
of how to feed ourselves,
which was
690
00:50:33,910 --> 00:50:37,247
that Max would do film work
and that film work,
691
00:50:37,247 --> 00:50:40,583
the money would go back
into the art, always.
692
00:50:40,583 --> 00:50:44,712
So he could, at night,
work on "Sleep".
693
00:50:44,837 --> 00:50:47,549
[MAX] I got into the habit
of writing at night
694
00:50:47,549 --> 00:50:49,384
when the kids were small.
695
00:50:49,384 --> 00:50:50,593
We used to put them to bed
696
00:50:50,593 --> 00:50:54,180
and then I guess my work days
were kind of
697
00:50:54,180 --> 00:50:58,434
eight or nine o'clock
in the evening to about three.
698
00:50:58,434 --> 00:51:00,228
Sort of. Something like that.
699
00:51:00,228 --> 00:51:03,565
Until I kind of fell off
my chair, basically.
700
00:51:04,023 --> 00:51:08,152
In a way, making creative things
is also kind of...
701
00:51:08,152 --> 00:51:11,656
I feel like it's a kind of
self-medicating in a way.
702
00:51:11,656 --> 00:51:15,493
So you write the piece that
you wish someone had written
703
00:51:15,493 --> 00:51:18,788
so you can listen to it.
[CHUCKLES]
704
00:51:22,375 --> 00:51:27,380
This sort of slightly obsessive
involvement with music
705
00:51:27,380 --> 00:51:29,757
probably kept me going.
706
00:51:29,757 --> 00:51:31,676
[YULIA] To the edge
of the woods before...
707
00:51:31,676 --> 00:51:33,761
[MAX] 'Cause we don't want to be
in the dark.
708
00:51:33,761 --> 00:51:36,180
[YULIA] Well, I don't mind
being in the dark.
709
00:51:36,180 --> 00:51:38,683
It's kind of adventurous...
710
00:51:46,065 --> 00:51:50,695
[MAX] I think of making a piece
of writing and creative work
711
00:51:50,695 --> 00:51:55,241
as sort of... It's like moving
from a space which we know
712
00:51:55,241 --> 00:51:57,201
into a space we don't know.
713
00:51:57,201 --> 00:52:01,706
And that's
the kind of interesting part.
714
00:52:01,706 --> 00:52:06,085
And actually it hardly matters
what's there.
715
00:52:06,085 --> 00:52:09,213
It's that little process
of just stepping out
716
00:52:09,213 --> 00:52:12,842
into somewhere you don't know.
717
00:52:13,259 --> 00:52:18,640
At a certain point, it's almost like the piece starts dreaming.
718
00:52:21,851 --> 00:52:24,604
[ETHEREAL MUSIC]
719
00:52:57,428 --> 00:53:01,140
[HIGH-PITCHED, ELONGATED NOTES]
720
00:53:19,534 --> 00:53:20,910
♪
721
00:53:50,148 --> 00:53:51,566
♪
722
00:54:10,543 --> 00:54:13,212
[MUSIC FADES]
723
00:54:15,298 --> 00:54:18,176
[PLAINTIVE PIANO MELODY]
724
00:54:41,240 --> 00:54:43,993
[STRINGS COMMENCE]
725
00:55:09,268 --> 00:55:12,271
[SOFTLY VIBRATING HUM]
726
00:55:28,955 --> 00:55:30,790
♪
727
00:56:00,319 --> 00:56:02,071
♪
728
00:56:31,309 --> 00:56:33,060
♪
729
00:56:55,333 --> 00:56:57,001
♪
730
00:57:11,724 --> 00:57:15,353
I am a visual artist,
so I'm very project-orientated.
731
00:57:15,353 --> 00:57:20,191
I'm making projects that usually
take a year or two to complete,
732
00:57:20,191 --> 00:57:23,402
so there's a lot of things
to work out.
733
00:57:23,778 --> 00:57:25,738
This, because it was
so durational,
734
00:57:25,738 --> 00:57:28,950
gave me the opportunity
to resolve some questions
735
00:57:28,950 --> 00:57:31,911
that I was having about
what direction I was taking
736
00:57:31,911 --> 00:57:34,413
with certain things.
737
00:57:34,956 --> 00:57:37,416
My mind was wandering
and things were happening,
738
00:57:37,416 --> 00:57:43,798
but that music was there and
it was permeating into my mind.
739
00:57:45,132 --> 00:57:46,509
It's one thing
that really intrigues me
740
00:57:46,509 --> 00:57:51,013
about this project of his
that he certainly had intentions
741
00:57:51,013 --> 00:57:52,056
when he started it,
742
00:57:52,056 --> 00:57:55,893
but knowing what that experience
would be like for other people
743
00:57:55,893 --> 00:57:59,855
and those random factors
that come in...
744
00:58:01,065 --> 00:58:03,818
What influence is a sound
745
00:58:03,818 --> 00:58:10,366
on what's happening in your mind
as you're kind of drifting off.
746
00:58:13,577 --> 00:58:18,666
I am kind of at a point in life
where I feel like
747
00:58:18,666 --> 00:58:20,710
I need to make the best use
of my time
748
00:58:20,710 --> 00:58:24,296
and time is something
that's really important.
749
00:58:26,090 --> 00:58:29,343
I mean, daily life is hectic
when you have a family
750
00:58:29,343 --> 00:58:32,346
and you're worrying about
pick-up time from school
751
00:58:32,346 --> 00:58:35,182
and trying to balance
everything else out,
752
00:58:35,182 --> 00:58:39,353
trying to fit in everything
I want to fit in the day
753
00:58:39,353 --> 00:58:41,856
in the time that I have.
754
00:58:42,314 --> 00:58:44,400
Mixing that
with my own personal work
755
00:58:44,400 --> 00:58:50,781
and then just kind of keeping
our house in order. It's busy.
756
00:58:57,204 --> 00:59:00,624
When you have
these other factors involved,
757
00:59:00,624 --> 00:59:04,837
like Max has, you know,
people that are laying on cots
758
00:59:04,837 --> 00:59:08,007
and listening to that music,
759
00:59:08,007 --> 00:59:11,802
how does that change it?
What does that do?
760
00:59:15,222 --> 00:59:18,184
I'm intrigued
with starting with an idea
761
00:59:18,184 --> 00:59:21,395
and seeing how does it shape
and form and change
762
00:59:21,395 --> 00:59:24,023
as you introduce other people
into it,
763
00:59:24,023 --> 00:59:29,278
as everybody, I'm sure, had
their own unique experience.
764
00:59:34,033 --> 00:59:35,993
I don't know
who these people are,
765
00:59:35,993 --> 00:59:39,038
you know,
what has drawn them here.
766
00:59:48,506 --> 00:59:53,636
Experiencing "Sleep" live is
really not like anything else.
767
00:59:53,636 --> 00:59:54,762
Who does this?
768
00:59:54,762 --> 00:59:56,972
Who makes, you know,
769
00:59:56,972 --> 00:59:59,475
an eight-hour-long
musical composition
770
00:59:59,475 --> 01:00:00,935
that lasts that duration,
that's set up
771
01:00:00,935 --> 01:00:06,732
for people to fall asleep to?
It's not like anything else.
772
01:00:08,484 --> 01:00:11,737
[PLAINTIVE PIANO
AND STRINGS MUSIC]
773
01:01:00,911 --> 01:01:02,621
♪
774
01:01:25,644 --> 01:01:27,229
♪
775
01:01:55,966 --> 01:01:57,593
♪
776
01:02:16,153 --> 01:02:18,906
[MUSIC ENDS]
777
01:02:19,698 --> 01:02:22,493
[PLANE ENGINES OVERHEAD]
778
01:02:48,686 --> 01:02:51,647
[GENTLY HUMMING TONE]
779
01:03:09,081 --> 01:03:10,457
[MAX]
When I sit down at the piano
780
01:03:10,457 --> 01:03:14,837
at the beginning of the night,
there are 200-something pages
781
01:03:14,837 --> 01:03:17,840
of piano music to play through.
782
01:03:19,216 --> 01:03:20,384
You know, it's a big score,
783
01:03:20,384 --> 01:03:23,637
which plays
from beginning to end.
784
01:03:26,098 --> 01:03:27,308
I'm probably on the stage
785
01:03:27,308 --> 01:03:29,685
for about seven-and-a-half
of the eight hours.
786
01:03:29,685 --> 01:03:33,564
Something like that, overall.
Which is a lot.
787
01:03:33,564 --> 01:03:38,068
I get breaks, just to kind of
grab a bite to eat
788
01:03:38,068 --> 01:03:41,113
or a cup of coffee or something.
789
01:03:41,113 --> 01:03:44,950
And, in fact,
all the players get breaks.
790
01:03:59,506 --> 01:04:03,927
It's very tough on the string players, actually.
791
01:04:04,094 --> 01:04:08,349
A lot of the pieces
use very sustained tones.
792
01:04:08,349 --> 01:04:09,391
Very quiet, you know,
793
01:04:09,391 --> 01:04:13,312
which is the hardest thing
for string players to do.
794
01:04:20,027 --> 01:04:23,322
I kind of kidded myself
when we first started doing it
795
01:04:23,322 --> 01:04:26,408
that it was fine, everyone
would be fine, no problem.
796
01:04:26,408 --> 01:04:30,621
But it is actually a problem.
It's really hard.
797
01:04:30,788 --> 01:04:34,500
It's just really physically
and mentally tough.
798
01:04:34,500 --> 01:04:37,795
First of all to be concentrating
for that amount of time,
799
01:04:37,795 --> 01:04:40,923
cos even though, you know,
I'm a pianist,
800
01:04:40,923 --> 01:04:44,134
you know,
the notes come into your eyes
801
01:04:44,134 --> 01:04:46,220
and they come out
of your fingers,
802
01:04:46,220 --> 01:04:48,222
that bit is sort of automatic,
803
01:04:48,222 --> 01:04:51,934
but you're still having
to concentrate.
804
01:04:53,060 --> 01:04:57,940
Doing anything solidly
for eight hours is hard.
805
01:04:57,940 --> 01:05:01,568
And, you know, you get achy
and stiff and sore
806
01:05:01,568 --> 01:05:04,780
and, yeah, it's tough.
807
01:05:16,708 --> 01:05:19,711
[UNDERLYING HUM CONTINUES]
808
01:05:50,868 --> 01:05:52,536
♪
809
01:06:23,025 --> 01:06:24,651
♪
810
01:06:54,389 --> 01:06:57,392
[PIANO PLAYS SOMBRE NOTES]
811
01:07:20,916 --> 01:07:22,668
♪
812
01:07:50,988 --> 01:07:52,656
♪
813
01:08:20,142 --> 01:08:22,853
[CELLO COMMENCES]
814
01:08:50,047 --> 01:08:51,882
♪
815
01:09:22,996 --> 01:09:24,706
♪
816
01:09:47,145 --> 01:09:49,815
[VIOLIN JOINS IN]
817
01:10:11,378 --> 01:10:12,963
♪
818
01:10:52,502 --> 01:10:54,129
♪
819
01:11:17,903 --> 01:11:20,947
[SOUND SLOWLY BUILDING]
820
01:11:49,851 --> 01:11:51,478
♪
821
01:12:22,384 --> 01:12:24,010
♪
822
01:12:57,919 --> 01:13:01,172
[DWINDLES TO SOLO PIANO]
823
01:13:11,099 --> 01:13:13,810
[MUSIC FADES OUT]
824
01:13:37,459 --> 01:13:39,920
[MAX] I love to just come off
the stage
825
01:13:39,920 --> 01:13:45,008
on one of my little breaks,
just to hear it.
826
01:13:47,385 --> 01:13:52,307
Out in the house we have this sort of magical cathedral sound,
827
01:13:52,307 --> 01:13:54,017
you know, and I love that sound.
828
01:13:54,017 --> 01:13:57,896
That's the sound that the piece was written for.
829
01:13:58,396 --> 01:14:00,607
So I just wander around
and have a listen
830
01:14:00,607 --> 01:14:02,359
and just kind of see
what people are up to.
831
01:14:02,359 --> 01:14:05,987
Cos that's really nice for me,
just to kind of check in with,
832
01:14:05,987 --> 01:14:10,992
you know, how everyone is
sort of finding it.
833
01:14:15,747 --> 01:14:18,500
What's beautiful is just seeing
the effect
834
01:14:18,500 --> 01:14:22,295
the piece is having on people. I mean, that's an amazing thing
835
01:14:22,295 --> 01:14:26,758
because you don't really ever
get to see that
836
01:14:26,758 --> 01:14:28,927
in such an intimate way.
837
01:14:32,222 --> 01:14:36,434
And just being able to see, you
know, somebody sleeping there,
838
01:14:36,434 --> 01:14:38,436
or, you know,
doing their yoga or something
839
01:14:38,478 --> 01:14:42,065
or, you know, walking about
and thinking their thoughts.
840
01:14:42,065 --> 01:14:45,068
You just kind of get
a much bigger sense
841
01:14:45,068 --> 01:14:48,321
of what the piece is doing.
842
01:14:59,624 --> 01:15:03,586
Every performance is
really, really special.
843
01:15:03,586 --> 01:15:06,840
It's one of these
sort of paradoxical things.
844
01:15:06,840 --> 01:15:12,679
It's incredibly hard to do it,
but it's kind of so worth it.
845
01:15:13,847 --> 01:15:16,808
It costs so much to do it
and to try and make it happen,
846
01:15:16,808 --> 01:15:22,522
you know, on a personal level
and yet it's so satisfying.
847
01:15:33,950 --> 01:15:39,330
[YULIA] Every second is
a deliberate second.
848
01:15:39,748 --> 01:15:43,835
Every note is deliberate.
849
01:15:43,960 --> 01:15:46,046
So it was a massive undertaking
850
01:15:46,046 --> 01:15:49,758
and that's what's amazing to me,
I suppose,
851
01:15:49,758 --> 01:15:50,884
that somebody can do that,
852
01:15:50,884 --> 01:15:54,262
that they have that much staying
power with a creative project
853
01:15:54,262 --> 01:15:57,682
that they can see
something like this through.
854
01:15:57,682 --> 01:16:01,227
And that he can perform it.
I mean, I don't think I could.
855
01:16:01,227 --> 01:16:04,939
I couldn't play for eight hours
straight.
856
01:16:05,023 --> 01:16:08,485
That's what he's brought to me
and my work,
857
01:16:08,485 --> 01:16:14,115
his seeing through the...
seeing through difficulties.
858
01:16:14,115 --> 01:16:17,952
It's made me more of a fighter
for what I believe in
859
01:16:17,952 --> 01:16:23,333
and more committed, in a way,
to shaking things up
860
01:16:23,333 --> 01:16:27,545
and trying new things, you know,
and not stopping.
861
01:16:32,467 --> 01:16:37,430
You know, when we were young and he was putting out his work,
862
01:16:37,430 --> 01:16:38,765
year after year after year,
863
01:16:38,765 --> 01:16:41,851
and, you know, when you're young
and you're starting out,
864
01:16:41,851 --> 01:16:44,395
you do get kicked around a lot
and some of the things
865
01:16:44,395 --> 01:16:47,816
that happened to him,
I would just... I mean,
866
01:16:47,816 --> 01:16:52,028
would have sent me to bed,
crying, and yet he is...
867
01:16:52,028 --> 01:16:55,865
It's just a river passing by
for him.
868
01:16:55,865 --> 01:16:58,701
[MAX] I remember talking to YULIA about this at the time,
869
01:16:58,701 --> 01:17:00,787
you know,
and I was making decisions
870
01:17:00,787 --> 01:17:04,124
about how
the "Blue Notebooks" should be
871
01:17:04,124 --> 01:17:05,333
and what we would do with it,
872
01:17:05,333 --> 01:17:10,922
and she said, "The thing is,
you know, if the record fails,
873
01:17:10,922 --> 01:17:12,674
and you've made compromises,
874
01:17:12,674 --> 01:17:14,592
then you're going to be
really annoyed,
875
01:17:14,592 --> 01:17:19,389
but if it fails and you did
exactly what you wanted,
876
01:17:19,389 --> 01:17:20,390
then who cares?"
877
01:17:20,390 --> 01:17:24,602
So that's always been the M.O.
sort of going forward.
878
01:17:24,602 --> 01:17:27,397
Just kind of
always bet the farm.
879
01:17:27,397 --> 01:17:29,315
[HE CHUCKLES]
880
01:17:29,315 --> 01:17:31,359
We didn't have a farm!
881
01:17:31,359 --> 01:17:34,821
But, you know,
we always bet the farm.
882
01:17:36,114 --> 01:17:38,575
[YULIA] For me,
it's all about Max's smile.
883
01:17:38,575 --> 01:17:42,162
He could have been anybody.
I don't care what he does!
884
01:17:42,162 --> 01:17:43,997
I mean, I don't care
what Max does.
885
01:17:43,997 --> 01:17:45,707
He doesn't have to be
a composer for me.
886
01:17:45,707 --> 01:17:49,544
I love his smile and I still
love his smile 27 years later,
887
01:17:49,544 --> 01:17:52,505
so it's all about that really.
888
01:17:57,218 --> 01:17:58,469
He's a vulnerable man
889
01:17:58,469 --> 01:18:00,430
and, musically,
he's not afraid to show it
890
01:18:00,430 --> 01:18:04,267
and I think he's not afraid
to talk about vulnerability
891
01:18:04,267 --> 01:18:06,144
and that's something
quite precious
892
01:18:06,144 --> 01:18:08,813
because everybody there is
vulnerable in that moment
893
01:18:08,813 --> 01:18:11,399
when they're all sleeping
in a room together.
894
01:18:11,399 --> 01:18:14,652
And I think that fragility
and vulnerability in life
895
01:18:14,652 --> 01:18:18,072
is something that he wants
to talk about.
896
01:18:18,072 --> 01:18:21,242
It goes right the way through to an understanding of the world
897
01:18:21,242 --> 01:18:26,122
and humaneness, I would say, is the big word we try, you know...
898
01:18:26,122 --> 01:18:29,167
I mean, we're all flawed
human beings, right?
899
01:18:29,167 --> 01:18:32,670
We don't manage it all the time!
Or most of the time.
900
01:18:32,670 --> 01:18:36,507
But we try, and that's the thing, isn't it?
901
01:18:49,938 --> 01:18:53,650
I have such admiration
for his determination
902
01:18:53,650 --> 01:18:55,693
and his perseverance.
903
01:18:56,402 --> 01:18:59,656
The fact that he can just...
He does it, you know.
904
01:18:59,656 --> 01:19:03,493
That's a big thing for me.
I think my admiration for him
905
01:19:03,493 --> 01:19:07,705
has increased
through this project.
906
01:19:16,464 --> 01:19:21,177
[WOMAN] Their collaboration
is so gorgeous.
907
01:19:21,344 --> 01:19:27,517
To be ambitious
for something that ethereal
908
01:19:29,185 --> 01:19:32,730
is an... unusual thing.
909
01:19:32,730 --> 01:19:35,733
I don't see it that much.
I see people ambitious
910
01:19:35,733 --> 01:19:39,362
for large objects
that will stay there forever.
911
01:19:39,362 --> 01:19:42,699
I see people be ambitious
for movies or something,
912
01:19:42,699 --> 01:19:47,036
but to be ambitious
for a moment at night
913
01:19:47,036 --> 01:19:48,329
with strangers together?
914
01:19:48,329 --> 01:19:53,293
[CHUCKLES] I just think
that's... that's just glorious.
915
01:20:07,223 --> 01:20:10,143
[LOW HUM OF MUSIC]
916
01:20:41,924 --> 01:20:43,593
♪
917
01:21:01,652 --> 01:21:03,363
♪
918
01:21:22,840 --> 01:21:25,510
[MAN] Experiences like this
I think remind people
919
01:21:25,510 --> 01:21:27,845
that even in a world where
people are very busy,
920
01:21:27,845 --> 01:21:32,683
that if you were to place
the arts back into society
921
01:21:32,683 --> 01:21:37,188
there are these rejuvenating
types of experiences
922
01:21:37,188 --> 01:21:40,024
that can happen between people.
923
01:21:41,984 --> 01:21:44,862
By having an eight-hour
performance,
924
01:21:44,862 --> 01:21:49,158
in a world where three minutes is what is commercially viable,
925
01:21:49,158 --> 01:21:55,540
I think that already flips
expectations on its head.
926
01:22:02,964 --> 01:22:05,967
[MUSIC SLOWLY BUILDING]
927
01:22:23,943 --> 01:22:26,362
I teach. I also play.
928
01:22:26,362 --> 01:22:29,240
And my mission,
first and foremost,
929
01:22:29,240 --> 01:22:31,576
when working with new students
is, typically,
930
01:22:31,576 --> 01:22:36,038
to get them to realise
that the sounds that you hear,
931
01:22:36,038 --> 01:22:39,041
you can wield them as well.
932
01:22:39,584 --> 01:22:43,546
You have the ability
to make meaning out of sound.
933
01:22:43,546 --> 01:22:46,632
It's like the craziest magic.
934
01:22:50,803 --> 01:22:54,265
And then by having
that sort of instrumentation,
935
01:22:54,265 --> 01:22:58,269
I think it says you could have
a violin or a cello
936
01:22:58,269 --> 01:23:01,647
right next to a synthesiser.
937
01:23:03,649 --> 01:23:06,694
That gives them
a window into something
938
01:23:06,694 --> 01:23:09,489
they may not have known
they didn't know
939
01:23:09,489 --> 01:23:11,699
and gives them the tools
necessary
940
01:23:11,699 --> 01:23:14,660
to maybe be
the next Max Richter.
941
01:23:14,660 --> 01:23:17,205
I don't know. Maybe.
942
01:23:21,334 --> 01:23:24,295
[SUSTAINED MELLOW NOTES]
943
01:23:54,242 --> 01:23:55,743
♪
944
01:24:22,562 --> 01:24:24,105
♪
945
01:24:51,257 --> 01:24:52,842
♪
946
01:25:12,653 --> 01:25:15,906
[MAX] I took the spectrum,
the sonic spectrum,
947
01:25:15,906 --> 01:25:21,120
that the unborn baby hears
in the womb,
948
01:25:23,205 --> 01:25:25,333
which is basically
no high frequencies
949
01:25:25,333 --> 01:25:29,170
because the mother's body
filters all of those.
950
01:25:30,004 --> 01:25:36,677
So I've used that spectrum
for almost the entire piece.
951
01:25:37,303 --> 01:25:40,473
And then,
around sort of seven hours,
952
01:25:40,473 --> 01:25:46,020
the spectrum opens up so you get more and more high frequencies.
953
01:25:46,103 --> 01:25:48,981
So there's kind of a sunrise.
954
01:25:50,316 --> 01:25:52,652
An acoustic sunrise.
955
01:26:19,428 --> 01:26:22,306
[GENTLY RISING SOUND]
956
01:26:23,849 --> 01:26:27,561
I think there's something very fundamental about that spectrum
957
01:26:27,561 --> 01:26:31,899
because that obviously goes
to our first memories
958
01:26:31,899 --> 01:26:34,402
of being a person.
959
01:26:34,819 --> 01:26:38,322
Even before we're born,
we have this auditory memory
960
01:26:38,322 --> 01:26:42,118
which has
a very particular colour.
961
01:26:43,035 --> 01:26:49,291
So that's how the sort of sonics
of the piece work on us.
962
01:27:04,515 --> 01:27:08,561
[WOMAN 1] 5:49 a.m. Awake.
963
01:27:09,687 --> 01:27:14,066
Just saw a stray cat,
lots of sleeping people.
964
01:27:14,066 --> 01:27:17,403
Feel quite rested. Very alert.
965
01:27:17,403 --> 01:27:19,905
A little emotional.
966
01:27:21,490 --> 01:27:24,702
[WOMAN 2] People actually
were pretty respectful.
967
01:27:24,702 --> 01:27:25,870
Not a lot of chatter.
968
01:27:25,870 --> 01:27:29,123
There was a woman
with a bathing suit on.
969
01:27:29,123 --> 01:27:32,168
A guy with a "rock, paper, scissor" tattoo
970
01:27:32,168 --> 01:27:35,337
that I thought
was sign language.
971
01:27:36,839 --> 01:27:38,841
[WOMAN 1] it made me reflect
on my relationship,
972
01:27:38,841 --> 01:27:42,428
knowing all the difficulties
that we've been through
973
01:27:42,428 --> 01:27:45,514
as a couple,
all the tears, all the fights.
974
01:27:45,514 --> 01:27:49,602
It's all worth it,
like, to be with Terri
975
01:27:49,602 --> 01:27:52,938
because I love her so much.
976
01:27:54,565 --> 01:27:58,068
[VOCALIST SINGS SUSTAINED NOTES]
977
01:28:21,801 --> 01:28:25,596
[WOMAN] I was asleep for some
of it and awake for some of it
978
01:28:25,596 --> 01:28:29,809
and it kind of just blended
with dreaming.
979
01:28:29,809 --> 01:28:35,564
It was restful, but it was
like a journey as well.
980
01:28:44,490 --> 01:28:46,116
[MAN] There's parts of it
that I recognise
981
01:28:46,116 --> 01:28:47,993
and there's parts where I go,
"Was I asleep?"
982
01:28:47,993 --> 01:28:53,624
I don't even remember anymore
because it was all very fluid.
983
01:28:56,877 --> 01:28:59,421
[VOCALIST SINGS]
984
01:29:13,227 --> 01:29:14,812
♪
985
01:29:37,126 --> 01:29:42,256
[WOMAN] Falling asleep around a lot of people we didn't know,
986
01:29:42,256 --> 01:29:45,843
just seeing how other people interact with the music as well,
987
01:29:45,843 --> 01:29:50,431
it was really insightful
and moving.
988
01:29:50,848 --> 01:29:53,684
[VOCALIST CONTINUES]
989
01:29:59,857 --> 01:30:02,651
[PIANO RESUMES]
990
01:30:11,285 --> 01:30:14,121
[MUSIC GENTLY RISING]
991
01:30:29,303 --> 01:30:32,264
[YULIA] it takes years
to get to the place
992
01:30:32,264 --> 01:30:36,894
where it really starts
and can really take off.
993
01:30:39,063 --> 01:30:42,900
I feel like we're at
the beginning of something.
994
01:30:44,902 --> 01:30:50,032
Just starting, really. And that's what's incredible for us.
995
01:31:36,578 --> 01:31:38,956
[MAX] What if you slept?
996
01:31:40,416 --> 01:31:45,295
And what if, in your sleep,
you dreamed?
997
01:31:46,296 --> 01:31:51,635
And what if, in your dreams,
you went to heaven
998
01:31:52,219 --> 01:31:57,099
and there you plucked a strange and beautiful flower?
999
01:31:58,642 --> 01:32:01,770
And what if, when you awoke,
1000
01:32:02,104 --> 01:32:05,607
you had that flower
in your hand?
1001
01:32:08,193 --> 01:32:10,654
Ah, what then?
1002
01:32:32,384 --> 01:32:35,637
[VOICE AND MUSIC STOP]
1003
01:32:36,930 --> 01:32:39,475
[APPLAUSE]
1004
01:32:53,447 --> 01:32:55,908
[CHEERING]
1005
01:33:06,251 --> 01:33:08,712
[APPLAUSE]
1006
01:33:27,481 --> 01:33:30,317
[APPLAUSE CONTINUES]
1007
01:33:49,253 --> 01:33:51,171
It was kind of like...
1008
01:33:51,171 --> 01:33:56,051
a wave would come over you
and just wake you.
1009
01:33:57,761 --> 01:34:00,472
[IN FRENCH]
1010
01:34:11,650 --> 01:34:15,779
You'd hear just like the rub
of the strings - rrrrr!
1011
01:34:15,779 --> 01:34:20,534
It felt almost like a massage,
but inside.
1012
01:34:23,829 --> 01:34:25,873
I'm still in a trance, I think.
1013
01:34:25,873 --> 01:34:31,170
And in my head there's
a whole world of creatures.
1014
01:34:31,170 --> 01:34:32,629
The woman who sang,
1015
01:34:32,671 --> 01:34:35,632
it was like a mermaid
that was singing to me
1016
01:34:35,632 --> 01:34:39,887
that wanted to grab me
and pull me into the ocean.
1017
01:34:39,887 --> 01:34:41,930
Max was for me a kind of fox.
1018
01:34:41,930 --> 01:34:46,226
Very gentle,
but also very sneaky, in a way,
1019
01:34:46,226 --> 01:34:48,645
that he trapped us
from minute one.
1020
01:34:48,645 --> 01:34:54,776
He just did it in such
a beautiful, elegant way.
1021
01:35:00,782 --> 01:35:03,535
[IN FRENCH]
1022
01:35:09,541 --> 01:35:11,668
[IN FRENCH]
1023
01:35:34,066 --> 01:35:37,402
[PIANO PLAYS, MUSIC HUMS]
84672
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