Celebrated Norwegian sax maestro Marius Neset and his compatriot classical pianist Leif Ove Andsnes here unite their skills to create an exciting hybrid, composed music that sounds improvised.
That’s most evident on the title track of their album, Who We Are, written by Neset, and commissioned by Andsnes for them to play at his Rosendal Chamber Music Festival. The piece, most recently played live in 2022, saw the pair working together to fashion music that exists somewhere beyond the boundaries of either the jazz or classical traditions. Just don’t call it fusion.
Neset listened closely to Andsnes playing Beethoven, Rachmaninoff and Greig, writing music attuned to him as a player, that he could then respond to and develop with his own playing drawn from the traditions of jazz.
On the recording the two principals are joined by Neset’s sister Ingrid Søfteland Neset, principal flautist with the Stavanger Symphony Orchestra and Louisa Tuck, principal cellist with the Oslo Philharmonic. The album comprises three longer, multi-part pieces split into duo and quartet formations. The opener Who We Are, is a stirring statement of intent with multiple twists and turns over its four parts.
Introduction to Prague’s Ballet sees Andsnes in dup with Tuck, cello and piano delicately weaving around each other to set the stage for Prague’s Ballet itself, which sees quartet bringing the piece to a satisfying melodic conclusion.
Album closer Chaconne packs significant emotional range and sonic development into three short sections. Marius Neset’s playing across the piece ranges from his soaring lead line on Pt 2 to breathy shots of rhythmic sound accompanied by the audible clacking of keys that open pt 3.
Who We Are captures two musicians at the height of their powers and these meticulously composed pieces sometimes take both players outside their respective traditions. Marius Neset puts it best himself when he says “We asked each other: What kind of genre is this, anyway? The answer is that I have no idea, and I don’t think anyone else does, either. In any case, it’s neither ‘classical music’ nor ‘jazz’.” But it is certainly a dynamic and highly engaging exploration of the possibilities of contemporary virtuoso chamber music.
Who We are is released today 20 September 2024
