Concert ‘France Musique – Sacem for film music Award’ – Samy Thiébault & Philippe Rombi
The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France conducted by Bastien Stil will perform a tribute to Philippe Rombi on January 31st at the ‘France Musique – Sacem for film music Award’ concert.
The event will start with the world premiere of the piece Crêtes, commissioned by Radio France and composed by the winner of the contest Samy Thiébault, to then lead way to a varied and delicious selection of Philippe Rombi’s film scores.
This concert will be broadcast live on France Musique:
https://www.radiofrance.fr/francemusique
You can read an interview with Philippe Rombi here:
https://www.maisondelaradioetdelamusique.fr/actualites/trois-questions-philippe-rombi
[AUTOMATIC TRANSLATION]
You’ve worked on films that, like Merry Christmas, have become classics. Were you aware of this when you started composing?
It would be nice to be able to predict that a film will become a cult simply by reading a script, so no! I composed my scores with the utmost sincerity and an open heart. When I read the script for Joyeux Noël, I remember being touched by the story, beyond the film itself. When I composed the Hymn of the Fraternised, for example, it was almost not the film that came to mind, but a message of peace. Brotherhood can certainly exist between opposing soldiers, but also between peoples, communities and individuals. I would never have imagined that it could become an anthem that would be replayed around the world. Initially, I wanted to create a timeless tune that would give the audience the impression that it had been around forever. The fact that this aria and the Ave Maria are played today by prestigious orchestras is the greatest reward of all.
Does a soundtrack need to be noticed or do you prefer it to affect the viewer’s perception in an unconscious way?
Music can be noticed for the wrong reasons: if it’s badly composed or badly mixed, it will miss the point of the film. Above all, a soundtrack has to work with the film, fit in with it, be one with it. So I sometimes tell a director that it’s inappropriate to play the theme at that precise moment in the film because it shouldn’t be heard; it should be underscore, something that works on your body in a discreet way. Of course, it depends on the place the director wants to give to your score. In Sergio Leone’s films, for example, the music will have an almost operatic function; it takes precedence over the image and he wants us to remember it. I sometimes get requests like that, because directors know that I love melodies and themes; but I never hear a melody without hearing the orchestration, the two are inseparable. So when I was composing Swimming Pool, I heard a theme but also the voices that accompanied it, the guitars; I always hear the colour.
Who were your masters?
I grew up musically with Chopin, Ravel and Stravinsky. When I was studying to be a conductor, I discovered programme music, which had a profound effect on me. Everything in my career has converged towards composing film music. I’ve had a passion for cinema ever since I was a child, and I like to evoke feelings in music. When I got home from school, I’d go to my piano and improvise for an hour on the feelings I’d experienced during the day. And when I discovered film music, when I discovered the music of Morricone, Williams, Goldsmith and Herrmann a little later, my desire to compose was strengthened. It’s difficult to give just one name, even if John Williams has a nice slice of the cake.
Interview by Gaspard Kiejman
