Ahead of the Philharmonia Fantastique film release on Apple TV and Apple Music on November 4th 2022, Mason joined Martin Cullingford from Gramophone to explore the inspiration and process behind the work.
Mason: “We wanted to keep [the work] undidactic and fun.. looking up to pieces by Maurice Raval that use vivid orchestration to conjure the world of the young but has serious intentions. The education world becomes a space we can go to, and we want this film to be a gateway“
Martin: “It’s a wonderful work and a really beautiful film. I really hope that it opens many ears and minds to the orchestra and what it sounds like and what it can be.”
Listen to the full podcast on Gramophone Podcasts.
Mason also joined David Latulippe from KALW earlier this week on their ‘On the Arts’ podcast where they discussed Philharmonia Fantastique and the exploration of the instruments of the orchestra.
David: “This [work] is completely wordless. This is a really unique way, just using music and animation, to have people experience the magic of the incredible instrument that is the orchestra.“
Mason: “When John Williams saw it, I think it was one of the things that he really appreciated. It explains things about the orchestra in a purely musical and visual fashion without having to call in sentences that might not be accessible for everyone.”
Listen to the full podcast on KAWL.
The film will be released on Apple TV and Apple Music on November 4th 2022 and the soundtrack is available to stream on Sony Classical.