Liner notes
With this album, the listener is encouraged to take part in a reimagining of the classical piano repertoire from the 20th century; what if this music had been written today, for improvising musicians in a Scandinavian jazz context?
In these reimagined versions, we have used a wide range of approaches to create the improvisational frameworks. As a result, some of the pieces sound closer to the original version, while others may - at first - seem more distant. There are also two new creations, as spontaneous reverberations that emerged after working with the repertoire.
Much of the music explored here comes from France and the United States, from the first half of the century, which may bring to mind the French-American connection that led to numerous musical cross-fertilizations during this period. Also, most of the music is written by female composers, with the hope of highlighting some extraordinary music makers that deserves greater attention in the history books.
However, the ambition has not been to create jazz versions of the music, nor to create some kind of synthesis between jazz and classical music, as ends in themselves. Rather, the overall aim of these reimaginations has been to make each exploration a fruitful encounter; to bring out something that we 'hear' in the music, by reinforcing something of its particular expression. In doing so, we also believe that these pieces have managed to bring out something new in us as improvisers.
About the repertoire:
By the still waters is a piece by the American composer Amy Beach (1867-1944). Originally written for solo piano in 1925, the piece's undulating piano figures and lyrical melody seem to mirror the movements of gently flowing water. In this duo version, Söderqvist and I expand on the piece with an added piano introduction, solo improvisations based on the theme, piano figurations that move in and out of Beach's written lines, and a concluding duo dialogue.
In Assez lent from Valses Nobles et Sentimentales, a piece originally written for solo piano in 1911, we take on the music of French composer Maurice Ravel (1875-1937). Here, Söderqvist's introduction for voice and cello leads the way to Ravel's hauntingly beautiful melody, that is then taken up by the piano for a solo improvisation. One can also sense the presence of Billy Strayhorn's Chelsea Bridge, somewhere between Ravel's lines and our improvised phrases.
Contemplation is a spontaneous piano improvisation that emerged out of an arpeggio figure from Paul Hindemith's Ludus Tonalis. Here it's used as an interlude, as a passing thought between the duo and trio explorations.
Cortège, written in 1914 by the French composer Lili Boulanger (1893-1918), was created in two versions around the same time: one version for solo piano and a duo for violin and piano. Here, together with Kristoffersson and Olsson, it's presented in a reimagined version for piano trio (piano, bass, drums). We wanted to highlight the playful character of the music as well as its dramatic qualities, which gave us a good starting point for this trio conversation. First, we improvise our way into the melody, which is then used as a departure point for piano and bass improvisations, followed by a drum solo over the middle section.
D'un Vieux Jardin (Of an old garden), another piano piece by Boulanger from the same period, evokes an impressionistic and somewhat nostalgic atmosphere. Here we revisit the first two sections of the theme (A and B) for bass and piano improvisations, before continuing to the concluding section. There is also a subtle nod to jazz pianists Bill Evans and John Taylor, who also found inspiration in the harmonic language of French piano music.
Meditation (Interrupted) is an original composition that came about spontaneously after spending time with the music of Germaine Tailleferre, Paul Hindemith and Anthony Braxton. As always, it's difficult (and perhaps unimportant) to say what came from where. The music is used as a departure point for this encounter with the Norwegian trio en en en, where the improvised section unfolds as a conversation between me and Haugerud, with Hegdal and Duch providing an anchor to the melody.
Variazioni from Cinque Preludi, composed in 1966, introduces us to the Hungarian composer Erzsébet Szőnyi (1924-2019), whose eclectic writing defies traditional labels and categories. After playing the piece, en en en and I use the finishing chord as a springboard for an open improvisation based on the mood of Szőnyi's piece. We then return gradually to the theme, this time intertwined with our improvised reflections on the piece.
In Leggiero from Nine Preludes for Piano, from 1928, we enter the modernist domain of American composer Ruth Crawford Seeger (1901-1953). According to the composer's own description, this "wild Prelude No. 8 in primitive fifths ... represents a human laugh". In this reimagined version, en en en and I are joined by Halse and Ase for a sextet exploration of the music. Here, Hegdal and Haugerud start us off with an open duo improvisation that gradually brings us to the theme. Then, instead of playing the middle section and the ending from the original, we go into open, improvised sections that are interspersed with fragments from Crawford Seeger's piece.
Album credits
Peter Knudsen, piano
Svante Söderqvist, double bass (track 1), cello & vocals (track 2)
Jenny Kristoffersson, double bass (tracks 4, 5)
Daniel Olsson, drums (tracks 4, 5)
Tuva Halse, violin (track 8)
Amund Åse, vibraphone (track 8)
en en en:
Eirik Hegdal, saxophone (tracks 6–8)
Michael Francis Duch, bass (tracks 6–8)
Tor Haugerud, drums (tracks 6–8)
Tracks 1, 2 recorded at Kingside Studio, Gnesta by Otto Wellton on September 29, 2022.
Tracks 3–5 recorded at Studio Epidemin, Göteborg by Johannes Lundberg on October 20, 2023.
Tracks 6, 7 recorded at Studio Øra, Trondheim by Kyrre Laastad on September 28, 2023.
Track 8 recorded at The Department of Music at NTNU, Trondheim by Kristoffer Kleveland on December 8, 2023.
Mixed by Johannes Lundberg (tracks 1, 2), Kyrre Laastad (tracks 3-8).
Audio editing by Peter Knudsen. Mastered by Karl Klaseie.
Cover photo by Rachel Wolfe. Photo of Peter Knudsen by John Malander.
Album design by John Malander.
Producer/executive producer: Peter Knudsen.
This recording has financial support from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and the Swedish Arts Council.
℗ & © Skaleidoscope Music 2024.
All rights reserved.