The Music Behind Legend: An Interview with Jacopo Mazza
How do you give a fantasy world its own musical voice? For Legend theme composer Jacopo Mazza, the answer began with conversations about the story, its images, and the emotions behind them.
With a background in jazz piano and experience composing for television, film, and video games, Mazza brings both a performer’s instinct and a storyteller’s curiosity to his work. We spoke with him about collaboration, the challenge of interpreting musical references, and what he hopes audiences will feel when they hear the Legend theme.
Queen One Studios: Where does your creative process begin?
Jacopo Mazza: For me, it always starts with one question: what does the director want the audience to feel? First comes the director’s vision and the emotions they want to convey.
I like to keep the director involved from the first little ideas through to the end. The best way is to keep talking back and forth, sharing pieces and feedback, and building everything together.
Queen One Studios: What helped you find the sound of Legend?
Jacopo Mazza: Watching your previous work was very important. The visuals already told me a lot. Even the color correction influenced my thinking—it felt, in a good way, like a colder environment.
But the most important part was combining our conversations with your musical references. That doesn’t mean copying a reference. It means understanding which elements communicate a particular emotion to you, then finding an original way to create that feeling.
Queen One Studios: What was the biggest challenge?
Jacopo Mazza: The references expressed the feeling, but their overall aesthetic didn’t necessarily fit what I saw in Legend. The challenge was understanding what connected them to your vision.
It was the little percussive elements, the arpeggios, the crystal-clear high frequencies. I needed to take the meaning of those references and interpret it in a way that belonged to Legend.
Queen One Studios: What do you hope audiences take away from the theme?
Jacopo Mazza: I hope my music enhances the film’s message: taking responsibility, carrying the weight of your past and future, and facing what happens with courage and hope.
That’s what I felt from the protagonist—embracing challenges with awareness and responsibility. I’d love people to feel encouraged to face their own lives in that brave, aware way.
Queen One Studios: What keeps you fascinated by music?
Jacopo Mazza: There will always be mystery. There will always be something uncertain, something unknown. Being able to walk through that realm of wonder through music still gives me goosebumps.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Legend Part II is coming soon. In the meantime, explore more of Jacopo’s music and work at jacopomazzamusic.com.
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