Rachel Portman

Rachel Portman

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HIGH SCORES ALL AROUND

Oscar-winning Composer Rachel Portman Achieves New Heights on Robert Redford's The Legend of Bagger Vance
Rachel Portman has spent the past several years quietly composing a catalogue of film scores that ranks with the best in the business. Her music is characterized by lush orchestrations and tuneful yet subtle melodies; it also reflects the composer's sensitivity toward the dramatic and/or comedic material at hand. Born in England and educated at Oxford, Portman became the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Film Score for her work on 1996's Emma. She also composed the rapturous music for The Joy Luck Club and was again nominated for an Oscar for the music to 1999's The Cider House Rules. She's worked on smaller scale films such as Antonia and Jane and Smoke as well as big-budget Hollywood pictures such as Beloved and her most recent release The Legend of Bagger Vance, for which she was handpicked by director Robert Redford. Refreshingly straightforward, modest and intelligent, this mother of three has been writing music for both TV and film since her student days. Recently, Portman took time out of her hectic schedule to talk with Barnes & Noble.com's Jane Komarov.

Barnes & Noble.com: You began composing while studying at Oxford. How did you arrive at composing specifically for film?

Rachel Portman: I studied all of the traditional subjects -- harmony, counterpoint, history. I wasn't very happy with my professor, in terms of what I was supposed to compose. I began to look for ways where I could write music with emotion, perhaps that was more accessible, if you will.

B&N.com: Ah, the dreaded "accessibility" word in university composition programs! Heaven forbid you write something people enjoy listening to!

RP: Yes, exactly! I started looking for ways to be happy writing music. First came theatre music, which I wrote a lot of, and then I wrote the music for a student film at Oxford [called Privileged] that was directed by Mike Hoffman. Hugh Grant was in it, and it was a wonderful experience and great fun. From there I began writing for various TV programs.

B&N.com: You worked with the late Jim Henson on his "Storytellers" series. What was he like to work with?

RP: Jim Henson was an extraordinary talent and a good and generous person. I learned a lot from him and only regret that I didn't get to know him better, as I worked with him toward the end of his life.

B&N.com: Let's talk about your current film, The Legend of Bagger Vance. Robert Redford handpicked you to write the score. To what extent did the two of you collaborate?

RP: We spent a lot of time together discussing the musical needs of the film. Robert Redford gave clear insight into the characters and the world of the film. He was very open to my ideas. At the same time, he had many concepts already in place, which helped shape the music.

B&N.com: Do most directors know how to talk about the music in their films? Do they often come into the collaboration with the composer with preconceived notions of what they want their film's score to sound like?

RP: Absolutely. What you find with some directors is that despite this, they aren't clear on their ideas, and that's where I come in. The thing to keep in mind is that you are working for the director; it is their film, and you are writing to suit that person's needs.

B&N.com: The music for The Legend of Bagger Vance is beautiful, and the orchestration colorful and lush. Your orchestrations tend to have the Portman stamp on them in the same way one can identify the individual styles of orchestrations heard in the works of Beethoven or Brahms.

RP: Why, thank you! I'm largely self-taught when it comes to orchestration, so that's a big complement. I think orchestrationally as I'm writing the music. Unfortunately, there isn't always enough time at the end, and I end up using shorthand. I guess I'm a bit of a control freak, so even in these instances, I make all of the necessary comments on the score and work with a wonderful orchestrator who knows what I need.

B&N.com: You compose at the piano alone, not in a studio with the aid of sequencers?

RP: That is correct. I write everything down by hand, using the piano, which is a great instrument when thinking orchestrationally.

B&N.com: Can you name some of your musical influences -- film composers and otherwise?

RP: Bach and Ravel, especially for orchestration. Some favorite film scorers are Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, Jerry Goldsmith, and Thomas Newman.

B&N.com: You're the first woman to win an Academy Award for Best Film Score. For many years, scoring for Hollywood films was a man's business. What has changed to make room for new blood to enter the field?

RP: First of all, I felt incredibly lucky to win the Academy Award. I also realize that it doesn't mean everything. When composing, I ignore the fact that I'm female -- it never mattered. I'm a composer, not a female composer. It's just been a matter of time that things are breaking completely from the past.

November 7, 2000

Awards & Nominations