NEW YORK (AP) 鈥� It may be hard to believe, but even doubts himself sometimes.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a part of me which says, 鈥榶ou didn鈥檛 write that,鈥欌�� he recalls of composing his debut album, 鈥淟ife Is a Dream.” “What鈥檚 it called? Impostor syndrome.”
Thankfully, it did not stop him from finishing the collection of 12 compositions he crafted over six decades.
, performed by the Philharmonia Orchestra and recorded at London’s Alexandra Palace in April, it will be released by Decca Records on Aug. 21.
鈥淢y first love, or vocation really, is music,鈥� said the 88-year-old actor. 鈥淭hat sounds very official, but I was raised with a lot of music (of the) postwar years, and it influenced me. And I started playing the piano when I was quite young.鈥�
He picked up the instrument at 4 and began composing years later, writing his first piece, a waltz, in 1960. He was 22 at the time.
鈥淚 find more freedom with music,鈥� he says, compared to acting, which he labels 鈥渁 discipline, you have to know your stuff. But music for me is a freewheeling kind of art form.鈥�
And he’s had his fair share of experience. Prior to the release of 鈥淟ife Is a Dream,鈥� Hopkins had composed scores for a number of films.
鈥淭he opening of 鈥楽hadowlands鈥� is my first adventure in composing music,鈥� he said, referring to the 1993 film he starred in as 鈥淭he Chronicles of Narnia鈥� author C.S. Lewis. Then he became the principal composer on a few other movies that he also starred in and directed, including 1996’s 鈥淎ugust” and 2007’s 鈥淪lipstream.” 2020鈥檚 鈥淓lyse.鈥�
Hopkins’ childhood informed 鈥淟ife Is A Dream鈥�
鈥淚t’s about my childhood,鈥� he says of the album, which shares its title with the Pedro Calder贸n de la Barca play. 鈥淚t’s basically the memories of my childhood and growing up in Wales, and my developments in life, my adolescent years,” and so on.
But he says “there鈥檚 a great sadness in it all because 鈥� don鈥檛 get me wrong, I鈥檝e had a wonderful life 鈥� but underneath it all, there is the knowledge that life is one long goodbye. From the moment we鈥檙e born, we begin to die,鈥� he starts to laugh. 鈥淪ounds so cheerful!鈥�
That tension 鈥� or better put, wisdom 鈥� carries throughout the release. Take the first single as an example. 鈥�1947: Suite for Solo Piano and Orchestra: ll. Bracken Road鈥� is the middle composition in a three-part suite about a particular summer in South Wales. He says it contains a 鈥渕elancholy and sadness,鈥� a sense that arises with its cello.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the welcomed sound of nostalgia, of the strange, whimsical pain of life,鈥� he describes the song. 鈥淎ll music is actually based in pain. Sounds pretty preposterous, but it is. It鈥檚 about the yearning.鈥�
The same can be said about the song 鈥淪tella Aria” 鈥� named after his wife, director and actor Stella Hopkins 鈥� that deals with 鈥渢he loneliness in all of us,鈥� he says, but is part of a path to “sheer happiness.鈥�
Hopkins has been reflecting for quite some time now 鈥� both in released last fall 鈥� and on this album. 鈥淚 look at my own life now, and especially this year; I鈥檓 going to be 89 at the end of the year. And I look back and I鈥檓 thinking, 鈥榞ood God, I couldn鈥檛 have planned any of this.鈥� From the moment I decided to become an actor, 70 years ago, I thought 鈥� 鈥榃hy did I do that?鈥� I didn鈥檛 know, because I was pretty useless in school? I didn鈥檛 know what else to do. So I tried for a scholarship, became an actor instead of a musician. And suddenly I鈥檓 given a huge plate of success by some force of nature.鈥�
鈥淚’m without fear of mortality,鈥� he adds. 鈥淚’m just so grateful I鈥檝e lived this long.鈥�
How was instrumental in the album
In a surprising turn of events, actor Bradley Cooper 鈥減assed me on to Dudamel,鈥� says Hopkins, after witnessing Hopkins’ composition a few years before with the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Michael Seal. Dudamel was on board.
But when it came time to record at Alexandra Palace earlier this year, 鈥淚鈥檓 sitting there thinking, 鈥楬ow the hell did I write this?’ I have no idea,鈥� said Hopkins. 鈥淎nd Dudamel said, 鈥楾his is wonderful.鈥� 鈥� He is one of the most astonishing people I鈥檝e met. He鈥檚 so full of life and so full of energy and love, and it鈥檚 quite extraordinary.鈥�
It’s a shared affection.
鈥淭he same depth of imagination, humanity and emotional truth that has defined his extraordinary work on stage and screen is present in his music,鈥� Dudamel said in a statement. 鈥淎nthony 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.鈥�
Live performance may be on the horizon
After his debut album, live performances may be next. Top of Hopkins’ list is
鈥淭hat鈥檚 where I want to go. That鈥檚 what I want,鈥� he says.
The 1947 film 鈥淐arnegie Hall鈥� was a formative film for him, and he has the distinct memory of his mother saying, 鈥淵ou play at Carnegie Hall one day.鈥�
It is yet another dream in a life full of them.
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