Interview: Composer David Bertok Took Inspiration from José Andrés for ‘Chef’s Table: Legends’

Each episode of Netflix’s Chef’s Table: Legends spotlights one of the world’s most iconic chefs and documents their influence on the culinary world and beyond. Composer David Bertok had the honor of scoring S1E2 of the series, which focuses on the legendary Spanish chef José Andrés, whose work as both a chef and a humanitarian has made him one of the most household names in gastronomy today. He is also a larger-than-life figure, charismatic and garrulous in equal measure.

“A chef like José, in particular, whose strong, charismatic personality will always shine through, requires a score that matches that,” says Bertok. “The parts that required a more subtle-natured score were the moments talking about his humanitarian effort, some of which showed footage of disaster areas. These were obviously scored in a more clear-headed and somber way.”

Indeed, through his nonprofit World Central Kitchen, Andrés has fed those affected by disaster all around the globe. Bertok describes him as a “paragon of generosity” and made sure to reflect that in his compositions. Of course, Andrés is similarly regarded for his fusion style of cooking, which ultimately helped popularize tapas in the United States. Bertok aimed to replicate Andrés’ innovation in his own work on Chef’s Table.

“This was a wonderful aspect to also express sonically with instrumentation that might seem disparate, but was very exciting and enjoyable for us to blend.”

The show ultimately presented Bertok with a career-defining opportunity to draw inspiration from a different kind of creative. The rising composer found Andrés to be enigmatic, passionate, and profound. “There is an engaging mystery about him, describing this almost addictive hunger for renewal, progress, and expansion.” And from that mystery sprung Bertok’s score, a cinematic and surprising evolution of the show’s established sound.

Check out our full conversation with David Bertok below!

How did you approach composing for Episode 2 of Chef’s Table: Legends while honoring the show’s established tone and bringing your own voice to it?

I think honoring the established tone meant having a cinematic score, neo-classical adjacent, and with an extra slice of sophistication. I’d like to think that I brought my European eclecticism into the mix. 

The chefs featured often have deeply emotional and personal stories. How did working with chef José Andrés influence the emotional arc of your score?

From the early conversations with the filmmakers, it was clear that we were serving three distinct personas and perspectives of the iconic José Andrés. For one, there is the world-famous chef who built a small empire of restaurants, made Spanish food and tapas in particular popular in the US, but also has an experimental fusion approach in his cooking. Then there’s the humanitarian José Andrés, founder of World Central Kitchen, and paragon of generosity. And finally, there’s the private side, exploring the contemplation of how these two lives can coexist. 

Can you describe a specific scene in the episode where the music plays a particularly important role in the storytelling? What was your intention with that musical moment?

There is a scene where José is describing the drive, curiosity and ambition of opening new restaurants with different cuisines in different places. There is an engaging mystery about him, describing this almost addictive hunger for renewal, progress, and expansion. The music cue begins in a very spacious manner with intriguing chords in the string orchestra, after which an eccentric, virtuosic solo violin (performed by the stellar Stephanie Yu) soars above the sonic tapestry, joined by a percussive low pulse similar to a heartbeat. All elements start ramping up and lead into a beautiful frenzy. The intention was to both show the charismatic playfulness with which José approaches his art and also the determined drive behind his aspiration, always dancing near the edge.

Did you use any unusual instruments or recording techniques to reflect the chef’s personality or culinary style?

Chef José Andrés is known for his culinary fusion style. This was a wonderful aspect to also express sonically with instrumentation that might seem disparate, but was very exciting and enjoyable for us to blend. We had a vast string orchestra, a distinct solo violin, and a vocalist (soprano) whose performance was heavily processed to sound almost “designed.” Then we had the organic sounds of the nylon string guitar and the piano, topped off with modular and analog synthesizers. All these ingredients came together in varying degrees, but almost always blended to evoke both vastness and intimacy, both familiarity and the touch of something never heard before.

How do you balance the cinematic nature of Chef’s Table’s visuals with the subtleties required in documentary scoring? 

Luckily, the established tone and expectation for the score on this show is to be bold, to be distinct, and “out there.” Of course, you never want to compromise the storytelling, and the score always serves the purpose of bringing the audience closer to the chef, their story, and their food. In addition, a chef like José, in particular, whose strong, charismatic personality will always shine through, requires a score that matches that. The parts that required a more subtle-natured score were the moments talking about his humanitarian effort, some of which showed footage of disaster areas. These were obviously scored in a more clear-headed and somber way.

Looking back on Episode 2, what was the most challenging part of scoring it, and what are you most proud of in the final result?

I think the challenge was the scope of the subject. We had very personal, reflective moments in José’s private observations. Then there were somber moments describing the humanitarian crises that José and his World Central Kitchen Team encountered, while the third part of the story, describing his colorful career and cuisine, required a bold and outgoing approach. To balance those three pillars was the biggest challenge. I think I am most proud of the feedback from people watching and listening, and saying they were touched by the score. It’s the most gratifying moment to contribute to a show of such passion and diligence in every department, and to get the feedback that your music resonates with people is just wonderful.