After getting around 4 or 5 hours of sleep, I wake up quite easily. I start with a cup of coffee followed by several more coffees until I get sufficiently warmed up and ready for work. My creative period is between 10 am and 3 pm nowadays (it used to be at night). Afterwards it’s fine-tuning and perfecting what I’ve done.
It’s a difficult question. I choose the music to match my mood. I can really become lost in classical music and jazz. I listen to Bach a lot, and there is a movement from one of Mozart’s piano concertos (the second movement from piano concerto no. 23 in A major, K. 488) that I listen to over and over again. When I started my career, I also worked as a critic, and listened to a lot of jazz. I lived in New York for 8 years, where I had the chance to meet many illustrious jazz musicians, including legends I grew up listening to. When I’m feeling a bit snappish I prefer Herbie Hancock, otherwise it’s Jarrett, Metheny or Brecker and, for winding down, Stan Getz and João Gilberto. But the truth is that I don’t have much time to listen to music for pleasure, because my work involves listening to music 10 to 12 hours a day.
Too Loud a Solitude by Hrabal and One Hundred Years of Solitude by Márquez.
Each time a different one, though Rome is an eternal favourite. Right now I’m really into Cuba; it’s my current project.
I like both. I tend to think of cooking as an art, as something creative, which helps me relax. I also like some of the more intriguing restaurants when I have no time or I’m not in the mood for cooking.
I rarely read newspapers, but even then I prefer the online version.
I prefer books.
I bought a hoodie printed with photos of Sid Vicious some 15 years ago in New York and it’s been with me through thick and thin.
I don’t like loafers, I think they are totally lame. And suits a size or two too big. I’d rather not wear those.
Always the one I’ve just finished working on. I take great pride in the music I composed for Terápia (the Hungarian version of the US TV series In Treatment); it was a great experience to be working with Ildikó Enyedi, Attila Gigor (the directors of the series) and the HBO team. Other works I’d like to mention include Vox Humana for Digic Pictures and the soundtrack of the Thai-US co-production The Elephant King (2006, directed by Seth Grossman).
Good question. Freud. It would be an interesting conversation.
Most of all my parents, obviously. But also the people, teachers and professors who saw the talent in me and helped me with my career. I used to have a professor like this at university, and there were people who supported me at HBO in the USA.
Alas, many of those commonly repeated American platitudes happen to be all too true. You need perseverance and a will of iron. If you strongly believe in something and you feel it to be your calling, stand by it no matter what, and be strong enough to stay on your feet. Life will give you the chance you need to get going at the right moment. The only question is whether you’ll be ready there and then - spiritually, intellectually, professionally and humanly.