The acclaimed film composer and pioneer of 'minimalism' talk about his iconic music.
As one of Britain's most innovative and celebrated composers, the two-time BAFTA nominee's work encompasses opera and string quartets, film soundtracks and orchestral concertos. His best known film scores include Peter Greenaway’s The Draughtsman's Contract and The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Neil Jordan's The End of the Affair, science fiction blockbuster Gattaca, and his award-winning score for Jane Campion's The Piano.
One of the problems with writing a soundtrack is that you have no control of the overall structure of how the music is used.
In the full video, available to watch now on BAFTA Guru, Nyman reveals his influences and experiences working with the moving image and how it relates to his music. He offers valuable lessons on musical technicalities, structures and processes before divulging the working methods behind many of his best-known film scores.
