Bellman, C M - Improvisational One - Sivelöv, Niklas (piano)
Leveranstid: Skickas vanligtvis inom 2-5 dagar
A beautiful concert hall with a big Steinway grand, a pianist and a balance engineer/producer. At dead of night, just before the witching hour. This is the unique setting for Caprice's innovative recording series "Improvisational".
The series gets off to a more than creditable start with pianist Niklas Sivelöv. Just before the recording is due to start, Niklas is given the theme for his improvisation - the Songs and Epistles of Swedish 18th century composer Carl Michael Bellman. We can guarantee that no such Bellman was ever heard previously. Cheeky, classical, jazzy and full of verve. Thirteen of the best-known Epistles have been given new musical costumes. Aided by Niklas's delicate fingers we are regaled, for instance, with blue notes in the sadly beautiful Epistle 30 (Drain off thy glass), Old Man Noah struts his stuff through the key signatures, and in Epistle 44 (Movitz all alone) we travel from the 18th century to 20th century Jan Johansson's "Jazz in Swedish". Thus continues a genre-busting odyssey through the world of Bellman to a rumbustious finale aptly dubbed Finale Hullerombuller (Finale Hurly-burly).
Niklas Sivelöv is a well-known pianist and composer whose performances have been rapturously received the world over. Among other things he is professor of piano at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen. From this recording we now know that he is also an outstanding improviser. Niklas has recorded several albums for Caprice Records, for instance works by Alexander Scriabin and Robert Schumann.
In 2009 this recording won two prestigious awards at the "Independent Music Award" in the US. One of them was for Best Album of the Year and the other was the Vox Populi (People's Choice), both in the contemporary classical category. Among others, Peter Gabriel was a member of the jury.