Rachel Portman at Oxford
Donald Macleod joins Oscar-winning composer Rachel Portman to explore her studies at Oxford and early career.
Donald Macleod in discussion with Rachel Portman explores her studies at Oxford and early career
Donald Macleod this week joins the Oscar winning film composer Rachel Portman in her studio in London, to chat about her life and music for film and the concert platform. Portman was the first female composer to win an Academy Award, an Oscar, and a Primetime Emmy Award for her various film music projects, as well as many other Academy and Golden Globe nominations. In more recent years her music for the film The Duchess has been added to the A-level music syllabus for students to study. Portman also has an interest in ecology and environmental issues. There'll be an opportunity to hear part of her choral symphony The Water Diviner's Tale, a collaboration with Owen Sheers, plus the orchestral work Endangered specially recorded by the 大象传媒 Symphony Orchestra. Throughout the week there will also be music specially recorded by the 大象传媒 Singers including Portman's Magnificat, and her Christmas Carol We Were There composed in collaboration with Michael Morpurgo.
In conversation with Donald Macleod, the composer Rachel Portman discusses her early musical influences, and the importance of her mother in encouraging her development in music. Portman was one of the first female students to study at Charterhouse, where she was first introduced to the music of Ravel, a composer she still greatly admires. After Charterhouse, Portman went on to study at Oxford which was both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand she was encouraged to write atonal music, which Portman wasn't interested in at all. But through collaborating with other faculties at the university she began to compose music for projects working alongside fellow students such as Hugh Grant. After university when Portman was in her twenties, she was composing music for film, radio and the concert hall, but this still didn't bring in a regular income, so she supplemented her composing work with a number of other jobs, including waitressing, and also cooking lunches for city directors.
Main Titles (Chocolat)
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor
Chocolat (excerpts)
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor
Ravel
Concerto in G for piano and orchestra (Adagio assai)
Pierre-Laurent Aimard, piano
The Cleveland Orchestra
Pierre Boulez, conductor
Portman
Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis
大象传媒 Singers
Libby Burgess, organ
Benjamin Nicholas, conductor
Main Titles: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor
Where Angels Fear to Tread
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor
In the Park (Benny and Joon)
Studio Orchestra
J.A.C. Redford, conductor
End Titles: Ethan Frome
Studio Orchestra
David Snell, conductor
Producer Luke Whitlock.
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Rachel Portman
Main Titles (Chocolat)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Music from the Miramax Motion Picture Chocolat.
- Sony.
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Rachel Portman
Vianne Sets Up Shop (Chocolat)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Music from the Miramax Motion Picture Chocolat.
- Sony.
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Rachel Portman
Passage of Time (Chocolat)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Music from the Miramax Motion Picture Chocolat.
- Sony.
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Rachel Portman
Party Preparations (Chocolat)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Music from the Motion Picture Soundtrack Chocolat.
- Sony.
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Rachel Portman
Ashes to the Wind/Roux Returns (Chocolat)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Music from the Miramax Motion Picture (Chocolat).
- Sony.
- 17.
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Maurice Ravel
Piano Concerto in G major: Adagio assai
Performer: Pierre鈥怢aurent Aimard. Orchestra: The Cleveland Orchestra. Conductor: Pierre Boulez.- Ravel - The Piano Concertos.
- DG.
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Rachel Portman
Magnificat And Nunc Dimittis
Performer: Elizabeth Burgess. Choir: 大象传媒 Singers. Conductor: Benjamin Nicholas. -
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Rachel Portman
Main Titles (Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Rachel Portman Soundtracks.
- Redial.
- 20.
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Rachel Portman
Main Titles (Where Angels Fear to Tread)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Where Angels Fear to Tread Soundtrack.
- Virgin.
- 1.
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Rachel Portman
In the Park (Benny and Joon)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: J.A.C. Redford.- Benny & Joon Soundtrack.
- Milan.
- 8.
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Rachel Portman
End Titles (Ethan Frome)
Orchestra: Studio Orchestra. Conductor: David Snell.- Rachel Portman Sound Tracks.
- Redial.
- 16.
Broadcast
- Mon 5 Mar 2018 12:00大象传媒 Radio 3
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