Once a shy, German-born introvert who felt like an outsider in Britain, the 59‑year‑old Max Richter has emerged as a global composer who speaks directly to the soul. He’s known for creating deeply human music—less about showy virtuosity and more about emotional resonance—and he now holds the record for the most‑streamed classical album ever, thanks to the eight‐and‐a‐half‐hour opus Sleep. Richter’s early life was marked by exile and introspection: uprooted from Germany to the UK, a quiet boy retreating into books and Bach, guided by the milkman who left records at his doorstep. This nurturing of curiosity would define his path. His artistic voice—a fusion of ambient textures and minimalist repetition—is a gentle yet powerful rebellion against today’s urgency. What Richter offers is not superficial comfort, but a profound solace: music that feels like a breath, a lullaby for exhausted souls, and a rebellion against supercharged living .
Το ΒΗΜΑ, 29 June 2025