Album: WAGNER /// THE RING – An Orchestral Adventure

Orchestra: Baltic Sea Harmonic

Conductor: Kristjan Järvi

 Kristjan Järvi is set to release his next Sound Project album that sees him conducting his own might interpretation of Wagner’s ‘Ring – An Orchestral Adventure’ with the Baltic Sea Philharmonic orchestra.

The album takes it’s a listener’s on fairy-tale journey through the north of Europe following Wagner’s footsteps.

As Kristjan explains in the album notes: ‘This meaningful association to the Baltic Sea and the lands that it connects, leads me to contextualize the ‘Ring’ into a spirit and being of that may have influenced Wagner to create the whole metaphoric idea of the Ring cycle itself. To me this is and has always been a specific and differentiating hallmark of the Nordic people; an earthy way of being that is rooted in living in accordance to the laws of nature and shamanistic beliefs that shape a spirit of emotional innocence, purity, and honesty, which manifest in both darkness and light.’

The Estonian-born conductor and pianist has previously won the German Record Critics Prize and a Swedish Grammy for the recording of Hilding Rosenberg's opera "Isle of Bliss".

Following the album release is a tour beginning September 15th that sees the composer travelling to Germany, Russia, Lithuania, Denmark and Poland.

‘WAGNER /// THE RING – An Orchestral Adventure’ is out September 9th

WATCH LIVE PERFORMANCE HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNYD_4vfdrs

Album: DUET

Orchestra: MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra

Conductors: Kristjan Järvi/Steve Reich

 ‘Duet’ is the collaborative work of Kristjan Järvi and composer Steve Reich – a double album instrumentally made up of two pairs of hands clapping; two Violins playing; two ensembles in two pieces of Variations; two pianos; two keyboards surrounded by Four Sections of strings, percussion, woodwinds and brass celebrating Steve Reich's 80th!

Steve Reich is often heralded as the ‘father of sampling’ pioneering minimal music in the 1960s and achieving an impressive number of awards under his belt including the Pulitzer Prize and Leone D’Oro.

Thank you Kristjan Jarvi and the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony & Chorus for such an accurately detailed, emotionally charged double album. You Are (Variations) and Daniel Variations are two of the best pieces I have ever written and now, more listeners can hear them in extraordinarily beautiful performances. There are other great performances here as well. Take a listen.

• Steve Reich

  This album is a result of a three year project that started with Steve's residency as "composer in residence", the first ever with an orchestra, taking place in Leipzig with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra between 2013 and 2014. The first disc is of live performances at the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, the second one of studio recordings of "Daniel" and "You Are Variations".

 ‘Commissioned by the Gstaad Festival "Duet" connects many things for me and is another reason for this album being called "Duet." I see piece in a way as a door into Steve's soul which then is followed by the rest of him. It is a beautiful conversation and has all the hallmark's of Steve; pulsation and counterpoint that takes us into an unmistakable harmonic world on a real life journey of tension, radiance, and beauty mixed with concern. As with most of Steve's pieces hopefulness of humanity  triumph in the end!’

-Kristjan Jarvi

A concert will be taking place November 6th with the London Symphony Orchestra at the Barbican in which Steve Reich and Kristjan Järvi will be performing ‘Clapping’, as well as signing CDs afterwards. Kristjan has a number of other performances planned with the MDR Leipzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and a performance with the Toronto Symphony, all information of which is available on Jarvi’s website: http://kristjanjarvi.com/#events

‘Duet’ is out September 23rd

WATCH ‘CLAPPING’ HERE:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2mPKshRzt70