Michael Nyman

There is a group of modern day composers who are put in the category called minimalist. The British composer, Michael Nyman actually coined this term himself to describe his music. However, Nyman is more accessible than some of his colleagues and has had commercial success and popularity as a film composer. I am a fan of minimalist music and I like Steve Reich, John Cage, Harrison Birtwistle, Cornelius Cardew and Philip Glass. Nyman differs from the people on that list because he is much more concerned with melody. This has led to offers of work, which the public is more familiar with.

Classical music, as we perceive it, is very much in history. It is the product of people long since gone. What can modern composers contribute? Beethoven, Mozart and Bach are hard acts to follow. Some have gone down the minimalist route. It's not to every one's taste, especially when they confront extreme examples such as John Cage's recording of four minutes of silence. You can't get more minimalist than that!
Michael Nyman has explored different mediums and written music for opera, concertos and ballet. He trained at the prestigious Royal Academy of Music in London, studying the piano and harpsichord. He had a peculiar start as a performer in the 1970s, as a member of the Portsmouth Sinfonia. This was an eccentric orchestral group, which achieved cult status in the UK by playing badly on purpose. You have to be a good musician to make that funny and the results were hilarious.

Film scores have brought Nyman to the attention of the public and his music has made a big contribution to several films. He collaborated with cult British director, Peter Greenaway on The Draughtsman's Contract, The Cook, the Thief, His Wife and Her Lover, Drowning by Numbers, A Zed and Two Noughts and Prospero's Books. His popularity really came in 1993 when he did the score for The Piano. His haunting music was perfect for this beautifully shot film, directed by Jane Campion. Michael Nyman has also scored music for Hollywood mainstream film, including the science fiction movie Gattaca, starring Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. He also worked on a film called Ravenous, collaborating with Damon Albarn of Blur and Gorillaz fame. Michael Nyman is as busy as ever, and has been producing film music for a number of recent projects scheduled for release in 2006 and 2007, including a murder thriller called Therese Raquin, starring Glen Close.