Main content

Alexandre Desplat

Oscar-winning film composer Alexandre Desplat shares his musical passions with Michael Berkeley and describes the pressure of writing up to ten film scores a year.

Alexandre Desplat is one of the world's leading composers of film music, with more than 120 scores to his name. His big breakthrough came in 2007 with Girl With A Pearl Earring, and since then he's been nominated for innumerable awards, including eight Oscars. 2015 was a particularly interesting year as Alexandre was Oscar-nominated for two films, with The Grand Budapest Hotel beating The Imitation Game on the night.

Alexandre talks to Michael Berkeley about the pressures of writing up to ten film scores a year, the complex relationship between director and composer, and his craving for silence.

His choices of music reflect his diverse musical influences - Boulez, Haydn, Miles Davis, Janacek, and his mother's Greek heritage which is often reflected in his film scores.

Producer: Jane Greenwood
A Loftus production for 大象传媒 Radio 3.

Available now

33 minutes

Last on

Sun 17 Jul 2016 12:00

Music Played

  • Alexandre Desplat

    The Ghost Writer

    Ensemble: Traffic Quintet.
  • Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    String Quartet in D minor, K421 (2nd mvt: Andante)

    Ensemble: Quatuor Mosa茂ques.
  • Pascal Dusapin

    Perela, uomo di fumo

    Orchestra: Montpellier National Orchestra. Conductor: Alain Altinoglu. Singer: John Graham Hall.
  • Pierre Boulez

    Rituel, in memoriam Bruno Maderna

    Orchestra: Orchestre de Paris 鈥 Philharmonie. Conductor: Daniel Barenboim.
  • Leos Jan谩膷ek

    Sonata 1.x.1905 (1st mvt: Presentiment)

    Performer: Alain Plan猫s.
  • Miles Davis

    Old Folks

    Ensemble: Miles Davis Sextet.
  • Claude Debussy

    Prelude a l'apres-midi d'un Faune

    Orchestra: French Radio Orchestra Of The Ortf. Conductor: Jean Martinon.

Broadcast

  • Sun 17 Jul 2016 12:00

What makes Boogie-woogie piano legend Jools Holland tick?

What makes Boogie-woogie piano legend Jools Holland tick?

For Private Passions, Jools Holland revealed his piano history to Michael Berkeley.

11 things we learned from Harry Enfield鈥檚 Private Passions

11 things we learned from Harry Enfield鈥檚 Private Passions

Harry doesn't usually give interviews 鈥 but he couldn't say no to Michael Berkeley.

Archive Unlocked: Two Decades of Private Passions

Michael Berkeley introduces memorable interviews from Private Passions' archives.

Podcast