Lunaris – Music by Jonathan Östlund
A super showcase album of piano and chamber music from talented Swedish composer Östlund, performed by a select group of leading young European performers. Evoking the magic of night in all its guises from the dark to the whimsical this always lyrical and accessible new music has an individual sound and is exceptionally attractive. Some works include wordless voices from the soprano.
Track Listing
-
Jonathan Östlund:
- Lunaris (1:02)
- Opus Pocus Fantienne (2:44)
- Phantasion (4:20)
- Air dans l'air (5:09)
- Lumiere d'etoiles − Part I (2:34)
- Lumiere d'etoiles − Part II (3:04)
- Fantasia on Scarborough Fair (5:17)
- Rencontre (5:20)
- The Wizard (7:55)
- Reverie - Jeux de pluie − Part I (5:46)
- Reverie - Jeux de pluie − Part II (3:44)
- Reverie - Jeux de pluie − Part III (2:54)
- Reverie - Jeux de pluie − Part IV (4:22)
- Night-Struck − I. Invocation (2:06)
- Night-Struck − II. Electrifying (4:18)
- Night-Struck − III. Astray (3:22)
- Winter Vigil (5:07)
- Reve et Lune (5:34)
- Miroir d'un mirage − I.O (4:57)
- Miroir d'un mirage − II. N (4:22)
- Miroir d'un mirage − III. D (4:43)
- Miroir d'un mirage − IV, I (3:50)
- Miroir d'un mirage − V. N (3:21)
- Miroir d'un mirage − VI. E (6:15)
- La Feerique et Pierrot − I. Pierrot -trop fatigue pour dormir (4:23)
- La Feerique et Pierrot − II. Apres la pluie (2:37)
- La Feerique et Pierrot − III. Nuages de nuit (2:29)
- The Frog Pond − Part I (1:52)
- The Frog Pond − Part II (3:04)
- Music at Moonrise (4:37)
- Lunaris (reprise) (1:01)
Reviews
“Östlund’s music possesses the most vital ingredient for a composer: He makes you want to listen to him. Östlund possesses a notably poetic spirit, with a touch of sentiment and melancholy. He balances this with an impish wit that is really quite delightful. Jonathan Östlund is an engaging composer who clearly has a bright future ahead of him. Anyone who relishes lyricism and a poetic spirit should find much to enjoy in this album.
” —Dave Saemann
“Östlund writes in a tonal manner and his evocative compositions have no reservations; creating soundworlds of fantasy, Östlund seems to have no end to his reservoir of inspiration.
” —Remy Franck (translation by Stephen Sutton)
“Östlund’s signature, like Debussy and Schumann in the great tradition, merges atmosphere, mystery, fantasy, and fairy tale. . The sensation of Nachtmusik is so strong that one can approach these two discs as a single narrative of encounters by moonlight. [Östlund’s] personal vocabulary—striking, often repetitive rhythms, dashes of Shostakovich and Prokofiev, diatonic harmonies that bend in other directions, and remembrances of vocal traditions from Arabia and the Orient that decorate the lyrical line with melismatic flourishes—is markedly original. [I] feel enriched by stepping into his world of fancy free.
” —Huntley Dent
“There’s just too much going on to do it justice [in a short review]. The sleeve does a good job, suggestive as it is of dreamy, other-worldly soundscapes. A fascinating piece of work, guaranteed to make your dreamlike reveries seem all the more fantastical.
” —Jeremy Condliffe
“Evoking the magic of night in all its guises from the dark to the whimsical this lyrical new music has an individual sound and is in turn picturesque and witty. Timeless and sophisticated music.
” —John Pitt
“Jonathan Östlund is a composer who reveals an ability to create works that are magical, playful and energetic but always with a distinctive sound, a sound that will surely appeal to a wide audience.The recordings, made at Greystoke Studio, London are close but clear and detailed. The booklet and art work are up to Divine Art’s usual high standards.
” —Bruce Reader
“Although we recognise Impressionism and Romanticism Östlund’s expression is strong at all times and completely his own.
” —Sofia Lilly Jönsson
“Jonathan Östlund is one of those contemporary composers who writes music with natural poetic melodies and highly sophisticated harmonies, blending tradition with contemporary expression. The music flows with extremely flexible interpretation, with both dramatic climaxes and romantically soft sections, with variations in color, texture, emotion and narrative expression. Full of passion, emotion, fatality
” —Jan Hocek (His Voice): translated by Stephen Sutton
“[Phantasion] is performed in the most miraculous fashion… Blandine Waldmann is superb in her keyboard color, unafraid to opt for harsher sonorities when appropriate. Of particular interest is the playfulness of The Wizard. Delightful. Rêverie – Jeux de pluie for string quartet is given a positively radiant performance by the Cellini Quartet. This is a fascinating canvas, full of color. Östlund clearly has much to say, and he says it in a consistently interesting manner. Fully worthy of investigation.
” —Colin Clarke
