Academic Lecturer: Anthony Hopkins released an album of symphonic music

Oscar—winning actor, knighthood holder, creator of the image of one of the most famous cinematic villains, cannibal Lecter, released an album with his symphonic compositions at the age of 88. Hopkins' passion for music has been known for a long time, and there have been recordings, but this is the first time his work has taken on such a large scale. Full-fledged opuses unrelated to cinema are performed by the orchestra conducted by the star conductor Gustavo Dudamel. About how convincing Sir Anthony is in this role and how good the music of "Dr. Lecter" is in the material of Izvestia.

From waltz to contract

Even 15 years ago, a touching video appeared on the Internet: Dutch violinist and leader of the Johann Strauss Orchestra Andre Rieu solemnly announced at his concert that he would now perform the waltz And The Waltz Goes On, composed by Anthony Hopkins. The actor and his wife are in the audience. The musicians begin to play, the audience listens with visible pleasure, and Hopkins looks at the stage with a penetrating gaze and barely holds back tears of joy.

The story behind the scenes is even more touching. Hopkins, who studied music since childhood and even graduated from college in Cardiff as a pianist and composer, composed all his life. But he always suffered from self-doubt and was afraid to present his works to the public. The acclaimed waltz appeared back in 1964 and probably would never have found listeners if it hadn't been for the actor's wife Stella Arroyave, who decided to fulfill his dream, sent notes to Henrde Rieu and agreed with him about the premiere.

It cannot be said that until 2011, the public was not at all familiar with the actor's musical work. But this acquaintance took place on the territory of the cinema. Back in 1996, after making his directorial debut with the film August (an adaptation of Chekhov's Uncle Vanya), Hopkins wrote the entire soundtrack himself. Well, in Ridley Scott's Hannibal, the lead actor created a number of piano motifs, which are integrated into the symphonic score by Hans Zimmer.

In 2012, the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra reworked Hopkins' film music and released the album Antony Hopkins.: The Composer. Nevertheless, it was more of a trial balloon: firstly, the connection with the art form that glorified the author remained, secondly, the disc was not so widely distributed, and thirdly, the band that recorded it was still not one of the most famous. And now Hopkins has decided to perform as loudly as possible, signing a contract with one of the most reputable labels in the field of classics — Decca.

The stars have converged

The London Philharmonic Orchestra, pianist Sergio Tiempo, cellist Gregorio Nieto, but most importantly, the renowned conductor from Venezuela, winner of nine Grammys, Gustavo Dudamel, were involved in the recording. Plus, two compositions feature vocal groups that are also very respected: the Bach Choir and the Choir of Boys Singers of Winchester Cathedral. The question is to what extent the music itself corresponds to the level of the performers.

The CD contains 12 tracks with a total duration of over an hour, including the three—part suite for piano and orchestra "1947" and the waltz, where would you go without it. But if anyone thought that all of Hopkins' music was like And The Waltz Goes On, then the new album might just convince them otherwise. There are not dance pieces with a much more complex melody and harmony, there are opuses with a bright ethnic flavor, such as "My Homeland" based on Welsh motifs and "Samsara" tinged with oriental intonations. By the way, a funny fact: due to an error on streaming and in some releases, Samara was written instead of Sansara, but no, the Russian city has nothing to do with it.…

All this testifies to a strong school and proficiency in the profession. However, it must be borne in mind that Hopkins was assisted with the orchestration by third-party arrangers, so it's not a fact that the original scores were so colorful and spectacular in terms of symphonic sound. However, a college student who has no experience working with an orchestra has nowhere to acquire such skills. Nevertheless, you can't blame Hopkins the composer for his amateurishness.

The right choice

But what is missing here is a bright personality, some kind of fresh musical thought - if not for the 21st century, then at least by the standards of the middle of the last century, when Hopkins studied and formed his style. Sometimes Sir Anthony's compositions seem like typical average film music (even if they were not composed for the screen), sometimes they are influenced by Edward Elgar, Gustav Holst and other British composers. And if there is something of Hopkins himself in these compositions, it is sincerity: you can always hear when music is written at the behest of the soul.

It will probably be interesting for fans of the actor to listen to his album — first of all, to get to know the artist better, to penetrate through the many movie masks that he tried on with such virtuosity all his life, and to see that timid, sensitive, shy student who once poured out his feelings on music paper, and then, having already become famous as The actor continued to confess to music, looking for relaxation and peace of mind in it.

And also, having got acquainted with Life is a Dream, cinema lovers will be able to rejoice that then, half a century ago, Anthony Hopkins still made the right choice and went to the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art after college, and not to some conservatory. As a result, we got a great actor, not an ordinary, average, albeit sincere composer, whose name we would almost certainly never have heard. Now he has also fulfilled his dream. He really deserved it.