Max Richter: Writing music based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Available for over a year

Composer Max Richter has created his own genre of classical music. His ground breaking eight-and-a-half-hour concert work SLEEP has been broadcast and performed all over the world, addressing the need to pause and seek a sense of community. Elizabeth Alker now follows Max as he works on one of his most ambitious and profound pieces of music about the human condition. The new piece is based on the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which states that "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights." The plan was for artist and film-maker Yulia Mahr to create a full-length video for live performances of the music, but Max only finished the piece a few days before its premiere in London in February 2020. Then Covid-19 struck. Max and Yulia spent months in lockdown together as their working relationship evolved. So when will the project be finished and ready to perform in full? Presented by Elizabeth Alker. Image: Max Richter and Yulia Mahr (Credit: Mike Terry)