New Classical Tracks: Violinist Renaud Capucon soars in album of iconic film music

Renaud Capucon/Stephane Deneve/Brussels Philharmonic - Cinema (Erato)

"I remember very well the first time I was in the cinema to see the Cinema Paradiso. And I remember still, the emotion I had when I was with my father watching Schindler's List."

That's what this new recording, Cinema, is all about.

French violinist Renaud Capucon wanted to recreate for all of us, those times when we walk into the movie theater, the lights go dim, and our lives are changed by a powerful movie and its memorable film score. His collaborators on this project are Stephane Deneve and the Brussels Philharmonic.

Do you have a favorite genre of film? A lot of different styles of movies are represented on this recording.

"I like stories, I like being moved. I don't particularly like to be scared in a movie. I've never paid to see a horror movie, for example. For me, the feeling of paying to see something which scares you is something out of my mind. But you know I respect people who do this, but I go to a movie just to have fun, to laugh, or to be moved or even to cry, but to cry for good reasons — not to cry of being scared."

I want to talk about some specific pieces. I know you had the opportunity to collaborate with a popular French singer on 'Calling You' from Bagdad Cafe. Can you tell me about that?

"When I chose this piece, I definitely wanted to find the right singer. So, she's called Nolwenn Leroy, she's very popular in France and in Francophone countries. I know her well. And she said yes straight away. This kind of project, it has to be done by love. So, I mean when I called Stephane Deneve, it was not like an answer of the style, 'Oh yeah, I will think about it. Why not.' It had to be, 'Yes!' straightaway. Which was the case. And the same with her. And that's how you build a project which is organic."

I know Alexandre Desplat is one of the reasons you decided to make this recording. Will you talk about him and the music from the Twilight Saga that you feature on this recording?

"I wouldn't have done the CD without Alexandre Desplat, because he encouraged me to do this and to be able to speak with him — also with Vladimir Cosma — to speak with these alive people who are really doing it. I don't know how, but it somehow it gave me the last push to really do it."

I was also very taken with the simplicity of Mancini's 'Moon River' from Breakfast at Tiffany's. Some of the arrangements are lush and big, but this comes back to the core of that beautiful melody. Will you talk about that please?

"Well I'm a huge fan of Audrey Hepburn, and this was one of the the first ideas I got for the CD, was to have this moment. I remember I closed my eyes when I recorded it, and I was absolutely watching at the same time or seeing in my mind Audrey Hepburn playing and singing it. She's so luminous and glamorous, and so I tried to do the best I could to be at the level."

To hear the rest of my conversation, click on the extended interview above, or download the extended podcast on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts.

Resources

Cinema (Amazon)