Max Richter - Memoryhouse

Max Richter himself then. He's a German-born British composer (1966), who has come on the radar with his evocative score for Ari Foldman's Waltz with Bashir. I've been skirting Richter's orbit for many years without actually making the connection. He studied with, amongst others, Berio, and was co-founder of the contemporary music ensemble Piano Circus. I remember their recordings on the Argo label. In 1996 he collaborated with the dance band Future Sound of London on their album Dead Cities. I actually have that in my collection (thanks to PC who made it part of our exchange project). In 2002 Richter produced his first solo album, Memoryhouse, which went out of print but was reissued a few years ago on the Fat Cat label.

I will be brief about the album itself. It's skillfully composed, lush film music for a non-existent motion picture (apparently it has been used for a BBC documentary on the nazi extermination camps). With its sweeping melodies, rich orchestration (at times) and general mood of loss and nostalgia it would do extremely well as a aural foil for a pompous period drama. However, I find it lacks subtlety. Some of the tracks (Sarajevo) are way over the top to my taste (think Gorecki's Third in overdrive). So, it is only suitable for moderate consumption. There is, however, one track which I find truly spellbinding and that is Maria, The Poet, 1915. It simply superimposes a recording of Maria Tsvetaeva declamating a poem in unbelievably stirring and musical Russian on a slow, darkly-melancholic, oceanic, undulating string melody. It's not subtle either, but it really moves me everytime I hear it!

In its genre, Memoryhouse has something to offer. I am quite certain Richter will grow into one of the most prominent film composers around. I hope he will flex his muscles on more serious undertakings too.