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Donald Macleod and Max Richter revisit a lightbulb moment in his career.

German-born British musician Max Richter is one of the most influential composers of his generation. A streaming sensation with over 3 billion listens, he blends classical and electronic elements in his music and is just as at home on 6Music as on Radio 3. He’s a producer, pianist and serial collaborator whose trailblazing work ranges from ballets and orchestral works to major Hollywood scores and solo albums. At his studio in rural Oxfordshire, Donald sits down with Max to talk about his musical life, from making synthesisers in his bedroom, to Grammy nominations, writing the world’s longest lullaby and tackling some of society’s biggest questions through the medium of music. Across the week, we dig into Max’s eclectic back catalogue, and journey through one of his most popular works, his reinterpretation of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons.

Today, with music on the theme of light and enlightenment, we go back to a pivotal moment for Max - a conversation that transformed the way he composed, leading him to push back against the prevailing trends in contemporary music. As he found his voice, we hear about the period in his career where his work began to find exposure – with his breakthrough album The Blue Notebooks.

Vladimir’s Blues
Max Richter, piano

Sunlight
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
Rico Costa, violin
John Metcalfe, (viola
Ian Burdge, cello
Chris Worsey, cello
On the Nature of Daylight
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
John Metcalfe, viola
Philip Sheppard, cello
Chris Worsey, cello

On the Nature of Daylight
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
John Metcalfe, viola
Philip Sheppard, cello
Chris Worsey, cello

Summer (Recomposed by Max Richter: Vivaldi, The Four Seasons)
Daniel Hope, violin
Konzerthaus Kammerorchester Berlin
Andre de Ridder, conductor

Flowers for Yulia ; Autumn Music 2
Robert Wyatt, speaker
Max Richter, piano
Louisa Fuller, violin
Natalia Bonner, violin
Rico Costa, violin
John Metcalfe, viola
Ian Burdge, cello
Chris Worsey, cello

Selection from 24 Postcards in Full Colour
Max Richter, piano and electronics
Louisa Fuller, violin

Produced by Amelia Parker for ´óÏó´«Ã½ Audio Cardiff

(Photo credit: Mike Terry)