Jazzed Up Classical home
Bach Re-invented album cover

Album guide

Bach Re-invented

Kristjan Järvi, Absolute Ensemble, Simone Dinnerstein

Composer
J.S. Bach
Released
2013
Label
Sony Classical
Forces
Piano, Saxophone, Orchestra
Personnel
Simone Dinnerstein piano; Absolute Ensemble conducted by Kristjan Järvi; with Daniel Schnyder soprano saxophone, Héctor Del Curto bandoneon and Gene Pritsker DJ

Kristjan Järvi devised Absolute Bach Re-invented to showcase members of Absolute Ensemble who were composers as well as performers. On the album, Simone Dinnerstein first plays three of Bach’s two-part Inventions alone; each then becomes the point of departure for music by Gene Pritsker, Daniel Schnyder or Tom Trapp.

Pritsker and Schnyder build substantial new works around those small originals, drawing on jazz, rock, electronics and hip-hop while relying on the ensemble’s classical precision to hold the rapid changes together. Hearing each Invention first makes even the furthest departures easy to follow.

Hear both

The album includes its own performances of the classical originals as well as the jazz readings, so there is no separate classical side.

The albumKristjan Järvi, Absolute Ensemble, Simone Dinnerstein · 2013

The player above carries the complete album in track order, the straight performances and the jazz readings alike.

Open full album in Spotify

Spotify’s player is here for convenience; the full track listing below remains available to everyone.

Source works

The album’s complete track listing, with each classical source identified and original compositions marked plainly.

  1. Invention No. 1 in C Major, BWV 772Two-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
  2. Reinventions (Piano Concerto): ITwo-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
  3. Reinventions (Piano Concerto): IITwo-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
  4. Reinventions (Piano Concerto): IIITwo-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
  5. Reinventions (Piano Concerto): IVTwo-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
  6. Reinventions (Piano Concerto): VTwo-Part Invention No. 1 in C major, BWV 772
  7. Invention No. 4 in D Minor, BWV 775Two-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  8. toopART Reinventions: Part ITwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  9. toopART Reinventions: Part IITwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  10. toopART Reinventions: InterludiumTwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  11. toopART Reinventions: Part IIITwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  12. toopART Reinventions: CadenzaTwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  13. toopART Reinventions: Part IVTwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  14. toopART Reinventions: Part VTwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  15. toopART Reinventions: Part VITwo-Part Invention No. 4 in D minor, BWV 775
  16. Invention No. 8 in F Major, BWV 779Two-Part Invention No. 8 in F major, BWV 779
  17. Headless Snowman EncoreTwo-Part Invention No. 8 in F major, BWV 779