Interview: Kirill Richter, Sands of Time
Making his debut at the London Coliseum with Sands of Time for one-night-only on the 11 September, we spoke with the virtuoso musician, pianist and composer Kirill Richter to find out more about his work and this exciting new collaboration for him.
1. Can we start by telling our readers a little bit about you and where your journey into composing and playing piano began?
It all started with me sneaking in some extra practice time on my granny’s old upright piano. You know, the kind with old felt smell, and archaic design, but It was love at first touch. I was a kind of demure and humble child, and I was drawn to the piano, not as an instrument of discipline, but as a portal to another world. It became my first language, one that I could speak without restraint. When I started, I didn't know how to play by notes at all, it was pure improvisation. So composition was my only way to be with the instrument. And that's where the roots of my composing come from. Apparently, they came through years of non-musical education in nuclear physics and then fashion design.
2. What do you think has kept you inspired creatively during your career?
It's the challenge of exploring new harmonic languages, structures and forms - it's hard for me to find anything in life that brings more pleasure.
To be honest I don't really know what my inspiration is, because I feel excitement every time I start to compose. I never wait for some special state, in my family it was always said that appetite comes at meal times. Maybe for me, it's a combination of some super bright moments of revelation while improvising and making orchestral sketches, and at the same time a very monotonous and bloody exhausting labour, when you sit for hours and hours like a nerd cleaning your own scores and perfecting them. Maybe I wouldn’t call it inspiration, although maybe that's what it is, but that's exactly what fuels my creative drive.
3. Being both a performer and a composer, how do you balance your roles? Does performing your own work influence how you compose?
Performing my own compositions allows me to test the physicality of my music, how it feels under the fingers, and how it breathes on the stage and speaks to the audience. When you are a performer, you are the interpreter, bringing the work to life with precision and emotional depth. As a composer, you are sort of an architect, constructing the facility which the performer will inhabit. So as a performer, you can do decorations, furniture etc, but the structure will remain the same. I think this symbiotic relationship really influences my compositional process. On the rare occasions when I perform music that is not my own, as a composer you see another composer's intent much more clearly. To the point where I am sometimes genuinely surprised by some interpretations that ignore the main ideas and musical logic of the piece. So in the end the performer in me ensures that the composer in me remains grounded, while the composer pushes the performer to explore new territories.
4. Your compositions often blend together classical and contemporary elements. How do you approach the fusion of these styles in your work?
I never understood why academic music ignored the emergence of new genres such as electronic music, rock, hip-hop and techno for so long and persistently. In my opinion, this process took so long that in the end the avant-garde became the rearguard.
I've always been attracted to unusual instruments or registers, and contemporary techniques unlike anything else. But I never wanted to use these effects for the sake of effects. I truly believe that experimentation is good in the laboratory, but on stage you have to show the finished result. So, coming back to the mix of modern and classical, my goal was always to create a seamless piece where the listener is not jarred by the transitions, but rather drawn into a cohesive sonic experience that reflects both.
5. Where did you come up with the inspiration for The Sands of Time?
The Sands of Time was born from my deep fascination with the ancient musical and poetic traditions of Asia and Middle East. As I delved into the works of poets like Alisher Navoi, Zahir ad-Din Muhammad Babur, I was struck by how their words, written centuries ago, still resonate with such power and emotion today. These poets lived at the crossroads of civilisations - where Asia meets Europe - and their poetry reflects a rich tapestry of cultural influences. I wanted to create a piece that didn’t just reference this poetry but brought it to life in a way that modern audiences could connect with. The idea of time - how it flows, how it connects us to our past and our future - became the central theme. The music, the spoken word, the visuals - the whole performance is like a dialogue across centuries, and I’m excited to share that with the audience.
6. How is this work you are presenting different from what you’ve done before?
This work is a natural progression in my exploration of blending various art forms, it weaves ancient texts with modern soundscapes, using spoken word to bring the voices of ancient poets into the present.
‘The Sands of Time’ isn’t just about listening - it’s a whole musical, visual and poetic journey: the integration of spoken word, something central to this programme, alongside the evocative use of light and visual elements, aims to create a holistic experience that transcends traditional concert expectations.
7. What have been the challenges of creating this work, especially as you are creating an immersive multi-media event?
Bringing The Sands of Time to life has been both thrilling and challenging. One of the biggest challenges has been blending these different elements - music, poetry, visuals - into something that feels seamless. It’s always tricky to ensure that the visual and spatial elements do not overshadow the music, but rather complement and enhance it. This requires careful consideration of timing, synchronisation, and the overall narrative arc. The goal was to create an immersive experience that is greater than the sum of its parts, where each element serves the music’s narrative. It’s a really delicate balance I’m always caring about.
8. Finally, why should people book their tickets to the UK premiere of The Sands of Time?
The UK premiere will be a unique blend of ancient poetry and contemporary soundscapes, with visuals that make you feel like you’re part of the time traveling journey. Stage design I created with my team is a huge landscape integrated into the London Coliseum space, blending and blurring the boundaries of the actual architecture of the theatre with imaginary landscapes projected on translucent screens. It all feels like one big monochrome dream, a vision as if from another ancient centuries.
After the performance of this programme at the Berlin Philharmonic, an elderly man came up to us and said that he had not seen anything like it in the last 20 years, even though he was visiting all of the major productions there. ‘I'll tell my grandchildren and they'll be sorry they missed it’. Well, maybe he was over-excited, but I let you make your own impression.
Catch Kirill Richter at the London Coliseum on 11 September 2024.
