Sir Anthony Hopkins may be best known as an Oscar-winning actor, starring in such films as The Silence of the Lambs, The Father, Remains of the Day and Thor, but before he was acting, he was composing music. And now, he’s sharing his classical pieces through a new record deal with Decca Classics.
Conducted by Gustavo Dudamel, the outgoing Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor who is headed to the New York Philharmonic in September, Hopkins’ Life Is a Dream will come out Aug. 21. The album features compositions from Hopkins written over a 60-year span and performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra.
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“Music was my first desire, my first wish,” Hopkins said in a statement. “I’ve been composing music all my life. Some of these pieces have lived with me for decades and I still find myself returning to them.”
Growing up in Wales, Hopkins began playing piano at the age of four and — schooled on Beethoven and Chopin — was composing music by the time he was in his teens.
While this is his full-length album debut, Hopkins’ music has already won awards. In 2012, he took home a Classic Brit Award for album of the year for composing the title track to And the Waltz Goes On from violinist André Rieu and the Johann Strauss Orchestra.
Many of Life Is a Dream’s pieces reflect Hopkins’ Welsh upbringing, including “Bracken Road” from the three-movement 1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra, which he composed in 1963 as a young actor at the Liverpool Playhouse. Other pieces are more contemporary, such as “Stella Aria,” written for his wife, and “Tara,” written for his niece. The album was recorded at London’s Alexandra Palace in April.
Signing a record deal and releasing his music are major milestones for the actor and composer. “My whole life is a dream. Signing with Decca is the honor of a lifetime,” Hopkins said. “It has been a true privilege to collaborate with the distinguished Philharmonia Orchestra and the virtuoso soloists, cellist Gregorio Nieto and classical pianist Sergio Tiempo. My deepest gratitude and respect go to Maestro Gustavo Dudamel, whose artistry is an integral part of this musical journey. With the graceful precision of his baton, he transformed each note with profound and indelible meaning, creating a pictorial landscape that invites the listener to feel and imagine something uniquely personal.”
Added Dudamel, “Sir Anthony Hopkins is one of those rare artists whose creative voice transcends any single medium. The same depth of imagination, humanity, and emotional truth that has defined his extraordinary work on stage and screen is present in his music. Listening to his composition, I am struck by its beauty, craftsmanship, and the unmistakable sense of wonder that animates it. Anthony approaches music with the heart of a storyteller and the instincts of a poet, creating sound worlds that are both deeply personal and universally resonant.”
Decca president Laura Monk also praised the project and Hopkins. “His depth of talent and classical music knowledge, honed over a lifetime, is a joy to celebrate with this new album,” she said. “Hearing his incredible compositions come to life at the recording sessions in London with Gustavo Dudamel and the Philharmonia Orchestra was a once in a lifetime experience that we are excited to bring to the world.”
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