An Interview with Anthony Inglis by Oliver Barder (...continued)
(page 3 of 4)

OB: So what was your first Japanese score you had to conduct?
AI: "226". The reason I got it was because Ibsen-Tillit, who are a very big concert agency, got a request from Japan from a Mr. Hiroshi Isaka. Who happens to be a big Japanese record producer. So, he rang Ibsen-Tillit saying that he needed a conductor for a film score. Ibsen-Tillit jumped to the conclusion that the music would need synching with the film. Due to my West End based backround and my rising into the classical arena they suggested me. So up and till the recording sessions I thought I had to synch the music to film which I had never really done before.

So I turned up and the composer, and now great friend Akira Senju, told me that the score wasn't being synched to film and the tempi and other such creative input were being left to me. This gave me a huge amount of creative latitude in which to work in. To be perfectly honest I have never had a composer tell me that my tempi are wrong either, which I have always thought to be pretty amazing.

OB: So what did you do after "226"?
AI: I cannot remember to be honest, however it appears to be quite a few <he says while pointing to a large heap of scores on the floor> to which I have all forgotten their names. Mainly because I have never seen the fruits of my labours.

OB: Well I know you did "V Gundam"...
AI: ...ah yes, that was with Akira Senju again. If I remember correctly the orchestra we had was pretty awful. Which was very frustrating, at one point I had to tell Akira that no matter how much we practiced it wouldn't get any better because the orchestra was so bad and the recording hall's acoustics were appalling.

OB: Looking at the pictures you showed me you even met Yoshiyuki Tomino
(the creator of Gundam).
AI: It seems that way doesn't it. However I didn't know at the time who he was. All the Japanese people at the recording sessions were in awe of him. Now you mention it I also couldn't understand why in the photoshoot with myself and Akira he was placed in front of us <laughs>

To be honest, after that I didn't think that I would be hired to do any more Japanese based work.

OB: So what did you do after that?
AI: Well I then went on to record with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra for Macross Plus. Which my agent and I were very surprised with, mainly because after "V Gundam" we didn't think that I wouldn't do any more Japanese scores.

However that being said, we had such a good time recording the music. The orchestra loved the music and had a ball doing it. Everybody liked the music, it was inspiring stuff. The Israel Philharmonic were in awe of the music. Make no mistake, the Israel Philharmonic are a world class orchestra so it takes a lot to impress them.

It also made a change from the usual "squeaky gate" music that I have had to conduct, which is music written by a composer for a select group of his friends. Music like that annoys me, because I want the listeners to enjoy the music and go through motions while listening to it.

Which is where this type of music, where you have challenging rhythms and harmonies, is exciting and it plays on your emotions. I would love to conduct more music like this.

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