Interview - Victor Reyes : Our exclusive interview

By Mulder, Los Angeles, 16 may 2016

Q: Good morning Victor Reyes you have worked on a such great movies as Buried (2010), Red lights (2012), Grand Piano (2013) and En solitaire (2013). How do you choose the film on which you have worked ?

Victor Reyes : Actually I think the films chose me (laughs)! No, I mean, reading screenplays like the films you’ve mentioned, there’s no choice for a composer. You must choose this stories. Deep, thrilling dramas in which as the characters are people who has something (more) to discover about themselves. Like me.

Q: Can you talk about your long collaboration with Rodrigo Cortés (Buried and Red lights) ?

Victor Reyes : Rodrigo is a very special and huge talented filmmaker. Since we’ve met for the first time -in his debut film, The Contestant- we’ve maintained the most creative of the relationships. Also we agree in such a different aspects of life: musical and cinematographic affinities, personal and philosophical aspects. Also, when we’re working, Rodrigo uses to be a pain in the eye (I think you’ll understand). He’s always pushing for elevate all his collaborators for an upper level, in creative terms.

Q: You have garnered several Goya nominations and in 2014 you were named “Composer of the Year” by The International Film Music Critics Association. Which are the main keys of your success ?

Victor Reyes : You’re embarrassing me (lol). Well, transpiration is the word. As The Old Man (Beethoven) said, there is not inspiration, but transpiration. Hard work, honest dedication, and having faith into yourself and into the movie you’re working for. Audiences deserves the best you can do. I really believe into the relationship between the artists and the people.

Q: Recently you have worked on the British- American TV mini-series, The Night Manager airing on AMC and BBC. What were for you the main difficulties that you have met during the production of this serie ?

Victor Reyes : Well, I was very carefully writing music for such a complicated plot as The Night Manager -written by John Le Carrè- because I didn’t want to disclosure certain aspects of the personality of the characters. In such a tricky plot, you must avoid to describe certain things that eventually will turn out the story into a different level of comprehension. Also, you have to be commercial, I mean, you have to navigate into a mass-media product, for everyone to understand the story…

Q: During the 1990 years you have worked with great artists as Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias, Montserrat Caballé, and Ricky Martin ? How did you see now this period of your life ? Which is the main remembrance of this period ?

Victor Reyes : I see this period as a transition to what I’m doing right now. A teaching one. Working with first level artist such they are, you learn much about your own capacities, about what can you bring to his projects, and the musical function that you have to develop, which is (was) improving their art.

Q: What are for you the main differences to work on movies, mini-serie or commercials (BMW for example) ?

Victor Reyes : I can’t think of any difference at all. I don’t make differences between movies or series. I mean, I sit in front of my studio, of in front of the orchestra, and i don’t say: let’s move on with this, it’s just television (for instance). I see myself like a classical composer as, let’s say -and with all respect- Haydn. Nobles or members of the european courts says to him: hey, my daughter will married this prince of Austria, I want you to write a great Bridal Mass. For next Sunday. OK? And poor Haydn says, OK. I’ll do it. That’s me. Nobles and princeps are now great companies. There’s no difference.

Q: I am a fan of the movie Grand Piano. Music takes an important part in this movie. How did you approach the creation of this score ? Can you talk a little about your work with Eugenio Mira ?

Victor Reyes : Long before the shooting, Eugenio has a very clear idea of what we’ll need for this film, which was, simultaneously, a great piano concert and a score. We talk a lot about the great piano concerts of the history, you know, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, etc. but, the difficulty was to write a long piece of piano and orchestra music which, at the same time, works as a thriller story by itself. Maybe you want to do certain thing in certain places, which will work into a “concerto” piece, but you have to transform the music into a story, musically talking. Grand Piano was a very, very tricky job. We suffered a lot.

Q: What do you like concerning the recording in Prague where you have recorded nearly twenty soundtracks ?

Victor Reyes : Prague is one of the musical capitals of the world. When you take a break during the sessions, and what you got -in front of the studio- is the theater in which Mozart -hundreds of years ago- directed himself “Don Giovanni”, you are living into the history of the music. You can drink the air of Prague. It is really very inspirational city for musicians.

Q: What can you say about the music which have been your inspiration ? I have read that you like the Ennio Morricone and John Williams work ? Can you say more about that ?

Victor Reyes : One of the first memories I have is this vinyl record of my father’s: “A Fistfull Of Dollars, Original Music by Ennio Morricone”. This magical words changed my mind forever. You must think into the mind of a eight-year boy of the seventies, I mean, with all the music that already exists, this guy wrote an original music for “this film” particularly? Also Ennio’s and John’s music is magical. I’m very glad that the Academy recognized Ennio’s talent awarding him with the Oscar.

Q: What do you like about the process of film scoring?

Victor Reyes : The process is incredibly difficult, but also very rewarding. I want (I think it’s my job) to help to telling the story. I think music for films has a function. You are there to tell a story. That’s the audience is expecting. And you have to do it in the best way you can. Sometimes this will bring you some problems but, eventually, and suffering a lot, you’ll fix it.

Q: What are your current project (s) ?

Victor Reyes : I’m starting “Inside”, a film by Miguel Angel Vivas with a (tremendous) screenplay by Paco Plaza and Juame Balagueró, the creators of “REC”. Very, very interesting project… I can’t tell you more!

Q: What kind of advice could you give to someone who would like to work as a musical composer?

Victor Reyes : Watch a lot of films. The most you can get. Go to the theaters. Listen to the music. Enjoy, and ask yourself, why certain sequences of a film has music and nevertheless another sequences doesn’t have any music? This is the kind of questions I asked myself until today.

We sincerely thank Victor Reyes for answering all our questions
A special thanks to Andrew P. Alderete, We like to work with you and share our passion for the Original soundtracks

Q: Good morning Victor Reyes you have worked on a such great movies as Buried (2010), Red lights (2012), Grand Piano (2013) and En solitaire (2013). How do you choose the film on which you have worked ?

Victor Reyes : Actually I think the films chose me (laughs)! No, I mean, reading screenplays like the films you’ve mentioned, there’s no choice for a composer. You must choose this stories. Deep, thrilling dramas in which as the characters are people who has something (more) to discover about themselves. Like me.

Q: Can you talk about your long collaboration with Rodrigo Cortés (Buried and Red lights) ?

Victor Reyes : Rodrigo is a very special and huge talented filmmaker. Since we’ve met for the first time -in his debut film, The Contestant- we’ve maintained the most creative of the relationships. Also we agree in such a different aspects of life: musical and cinematographic affinities, personal and philosophical aspects. Also, when we’re working, Rodrigo uses to be a pain in the eye (I think you’ll understand). He’s always pushing for elevate all his collaborators for an upper level, in creative terms.

Q: You have garnered several Goya nominations and in 2014 you were named “Composer of the Year” by The International Film Music Critics Association. Which are the main keys of your success ?

Victor Reyes : You’re embarrassing me (lol). Well, transpiration is the word. As The Old Man (Beethoven) said, there is not inspiration, but transpiration. Hard work, honest dedication, and having faith into yourself and into the movie you’re working for. Audiences deserves the best you can do. I really believe into the relationship between the artists and the people.

Q: Recently you have worked on the British- American TV mini-series, The Night Manager airing on AMC and BBC. What were for you the main difficulties that you have met during the production of this serie ?

Victor Reyes : Well, I was very carefully writing music for such a complicated plot as The Night Manager -written by John Le Carrè- because I didn’t want to disclosure certain aspects of the personality of the characters. In such a tricky plot, you must avoid to describe certain things that eventually will turn out the story into a different level of comprehension. Also, you have to be commercial, I mean, you have to navigate into a mass-media product, for everyone to understand the story…

Q: During the 1990 years you have worked with great artists as Plácido Domingo, Julio Iglesias, Montserrat Caballé, and Ricky Martin ? How did you see now this period of your life ? Which is the main remembrance of this period ?

Victor Reyes : I see this period as a transition to what I’m doing right now. A teaching one. Working with first level artist such they are, you learn much about your own capacities, about what can you bring to his projects, and the musical function that you have to develop, which is (was) improving their art.

Q: What are for you the main differences to work on movies, mini-serie or commercials (BMW for example) ?

Victor Reyes : I can’t think of any difference at all. I don’t make differences between movies or series. I mean, I sit in front of my studio, of in front of the orchestra, and i don’t say: let’s move on with this, it’s just television (for instance). I see myself like a classical composer as, let’s say -and with all respect- Haydn. Nobles or members of the european courts says to him: hey, my daughter will married this prince of Austria, I want you to write a great Bridal Mass. For next Sunday. OK? And poor Haydn says, OK. I’ll do it. That’s me. Nobles and princeps are now great companies. There’s no difference.

Q: I am a fan of the movie Grand Piano. Music takes an important part in this movie. How did you approach the creation of this score ? Can you talk a little about your work with Eugenio Mira ?

Victor Reyes : Long before the shooting, Eugenio has a very clear idea of what we’ll need for this film, which was, simultaneously, a great piano concert and a score. We talk a lot about the great piano concerts of the history, you know, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, etc. but, the difficulty was to write a long piece of piano and orchestra music which, at the same time, works as a thriller story by itself. Maybe you want to do certain thing in certain places, which will work into a “concerto” piece, but you have to transform the music into a story, musically talking. Grand Piano was a very, very tricky job. We suffered a lot.

Q: What do you like concerning the recording in Prague where you have recorded nearly twenty soundtracks ?

Victor Reyes : Prague is one of the musical capitals of the world. When you take a break during the sessions, and what you got -in front of the studio- is the theater in which Mozart -hundreds of years ago- directed himself “Don Giovanni”, you are living into the history of the music. You can drink the air of Prague. It is really very inspirational city for musicians.

Q: What can you say about the music which have been your inspiration ? I have read that you like the Ennio Morricone and John Williams work ? Can you say more about that ?

Victor Reyes : One of the first memories I have is this vinyl record of my father’s: “A Fistfull Of Dollars, Original Music by Ennio Morricone”. This magical words changed my mind forever. You must think into the mind of a eight-year boy of the seventies, I mean, with all the music that already exists, this guy wrote an original music for “this film” particularly? Also Ennio’s and John’s music is magical. I’m very glad that the Academy recognized Ennio’s talent awarding him with the Oscar.

Q: What do you like about the process of film scoring?

Victor Reyes : The process is incredibly difficult, but also very rewarding. I want (I think it’s my job) to help to telling the story. I think music for films has a function. You are there to tell a story. That’s the audience is expecting. And you have to do it in the best way you can. Sometimes this will bring you some problems but, eventually, and suffering a lot, you’ll fix it.

Q: What are your current project (s) ?

Victor Reyes : I’m starting “Inside”, a film by Miguel Angel Vivas with a (tremendous) screenplay by Paco Plaza and Juame Balagueró, the creators of “REC”. Very, very interesting project… I can’t tell you more!

Q: What kind of advice could you give to someone who would like to work as a musical composer?

Victor Reyes : Watch a lot of films. The most you can get. Go to the theaters. Listen to the music. Enjoy, and ask yourself, why certain sequences of a film has music and nevertheless another sequences doesn’t have any music? This is the kind of questions I asked myself until today.

We sincerely thank Victor Reyes for answering all our questions
A special thanks to Andrew P. Alderete, We like to work with you and share our passion for the Original soundtracks