Beethovens Breakdown

With special guest: Nils Landgren / trombone on Sonata I - IV.

Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 27 No. 2 'Moonlight'. The Moonlight Sonata is among Beethoven's most popular works. Wind instruments such as contrabass clarinet and soprano saxophone are utilized within the arrangement like a synthesizer, allowing for the arpeggio lines to sit prominently within the foreground of the piece in the style of a Stephan Bodzin techno track. The melody itself is cleverly displaced within minimal trumpet interjections.

Symphony No. 7 in A major Op. 92 - II, Allegretto. The second movement of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony has a long tradition of jazz adaptions. The theme here doesn't sound at all as subtle and delicate as in the original symphony, but instead provokes a robust and powerful statement arranged as pounding contrabass clarinet and tuba lines.

Sonata in Fm I - IV (composed by Leonhard Kuhn). An artist that is confident enough to take on Beethoven and his penchant for thematic, romantic music will inevitably want to introduce elements that feel personal and modern. Regarding the form and harmonies, the sonata is strongly reminiscent of Beethoven. The melodies and the sonic aesthetic however, make use of a contemporary language that involves both the spectral music of Tristan Murail and the danceable grooves of house music. From Leonhard Kuhn's very personal artistic vision, the sonata is not only a tribute to Beethoven's work, it also serves as commentary on its continued significance to musicians and listeners alike, today.

String Quartet No. 14 in C sharp minor Op. 131. Melodic fragments from one of Beethoven's late string quartets are harmonically reinterpreted to the point of being almost unidentifiable in this arrangement, leading the listener to believe they may be listening to an entirely new composition. This multi-faceted reworked piece encapsulates classical elements as well as dark German techno à la Ben Klock or Rødhåd.