Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Fusions of the music of J.S. Bach with contemporary popular and vernacular-based traditions comes in many flavors; even bluegrass mandolinist Chris Thile is reportedly set to release a Bach album. This one, by Estonian conductor Kristjan Järvi and his Absolute Ensemble, is both more fearless and better than most. The Absolute Ensemble is a young group whose members are encouraged to explore classical music with improvisatory freedom, with classical musicians exploring jazz and vice versa. "To be, this would be a dream come true. It's as if the Palestinians and the Israelis would agree to a lasting peace," Järvi says. The album represents a cross-section of works performed by the group, with just a few short actual Bach pieces by pianist Simone Dinnerstein to set the mood and the frame of reference. Two of them would indeed fall under the jazz rubric: saxophonist Daniel Schnyder's toopART Reinventions and Tom Trapp's brash Headless Snowman. Perhaps the most intriguing work, however, is Gene Pritsker's Reinventions (Piano Concerto), and this one is harder to classify. It includes elements of hip-hop (probably a first for the Bach fusion field, but with many new avenues suggested by the composer in his role as digital DJ), tango, and various Middle Eastern and Asian traditions, all with excerpts from Bach's Clavierbüchlein dropping in and out. This ebullient work is absolutely packed with new ideas, perhaps too much so, but it is most emphatically not boring, and just when you think all the rabbits have been pulled out of the hat, a spectral Bach voice appears in the final movement. Sony Classical deserves kudos for taking a chance on this highly adventurous project, which may well draw younger listeners to the short Bach keyboard works that have been an entry point to classical music for so many people over three centuries.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From €13,50/month
Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer - Ryan Freeland, Recording Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Reinventions (Piano Concerto) (Gene Pritsker)
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Gene Pritsker, Composer - Gene Pritsker, Performer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Gene Pritsker, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Daniel Schnyder, Soprano Saxophone - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Gene Pritsker, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Hector del Curto, Bandoneon - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Gene Pritsker, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Gene Pritsker, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Reinhold Heil, Vocal - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer - Ryan Freeland, Recording Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
toopART Reinventions (Daniel Schnyder)
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Daniel Schnyder, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Simone Dinnerstein, Piano - Johann Sebastian Bach, Composer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer - Ryan Freeland, Recording Engineer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Kristjan Järvi, Conductor - Tom Trapp, Composer - Absolute Ensemble, Performer - Philip Traugott, Producer - Max Ross, Recording Engineer - Tom Lazarus, Mastering Engineer - Adam Abeshouse, Producer
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Album review
Fusions of the music of J.S. Bach with contemporary popular and vernacular-based traditions comes in many flavors; even bluegrass mandolinist Chris Thile is reportedly set to release a Bach album. This one, by Estonian conductor Kristjan Järvi and his Absolute Ensemble, is both more fearless and better than most. The Absolute Ensemble is a young group whose members are encouraged to explore classical music with improvisatory freedom, with classical musicians exploring jazz and vice versa. "To be, this would be a dream come true. It's as if the Palestinians and the Israelis would agree to a lasting peace," Järvi says. The album represents a cross-section of works performed by the group, with just a few short actual Bach pieces by pianist Simone Dinnerstein to set the mood and the frame of reference. Two of them would indeed fall under the jazz rubric: saxophonist Daniel Schnyder's toopART Reinventions and Tom Trapp's brash Headless Snowman. Perhaps the most intriguing work, however, is Gene Pritsker's Reinventions (Piano Concerto), and this one is harder to classify. It includes elements of hip-hop (probably a first for the Bach fusion field, but with many new avenues suggested by the composer in his role as digital DJ), tango, and various Middle Eastern and Asian traditions, all with excerpts from Bach's Clavierbüchlein dropping in and out. This ebullient work is absolutely packed with new ideas, perhaps too much so, but it is most emphatically not boring, and just when you think all the rabbits have been pulled out of the hat, a spectral Bach voice appears in the final movement. Sony Classical deserves kudos for taking a chance on this highly adventurous project, which may well draw younger listeners to the short Bach keyboard works that have been an entry point to classical music for so many people over three centuries.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 17 track(s)
- Total length: 00:57:03
- Main artists: Kristjan Järvi
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Sony Classical
- Genre: Classical
(P) 2013 Sony Music Entertainment
Improve album information
Why buy on Qobuz...
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalogue with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.