Fresh Air Weekend: 'Beale Street' Composer Nicholas Britell; Novelist Sigrid Nunez

Composer Nicholas Britell says cellos were central to the score he wrote for If Beale Street Could Talk (starring Stephan James and KiKi Layne, above): "The cellos really became for us this symbol of love, because the movie is about love and injustice."
Composer Nicholas Britell says cellos were central to the score he wrote for If Beale Street Could Talk (starring Stephan James and KiKi Layne, above): "The cellos really became for us this symbol of love, because the movie is about love and inju Tatum Mangus / Annapurna Pictures

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

'Beale Street' And 'Vice' Composer Isn't Afraid To Play The 'Wrong' Notes: Oscar-nominated film composer Nicholas Britell seeks out sounds that capture a movie's essence. His process involves many discussions with directors — and a lot of experimenting.

Line Between Good And Bad Taste Blurs On Oscar Peterson's 'Motions & Emotions': A 50-year old album by pianist Oscar Peterson and a studio orchestra has been reissued by the German label MPS. Jazz critic Kevin Whitehead confesses to having mixed feelings about it.

'The Friend' Novelist Grapples With Suicide, Grief And Student-Teacher Relationships: Sigrid Nunez's National Book Award-winning novel is narrated by a woman grieving the suicide of her longtime friend and former writing professor, whom she slept with once.

You can listen to the original interviews here:

'Beale Street' And 'Vice' Composer Isn't Afraid To Play The 'Wrong' Notes

Line Between Good And Bad Taste Blurs On Oscar Peterson's 'Motions & Emotions'

'The Friend' Novelist Grapples With Suicide, Grief And Student-Teacher Relationships

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