Peter Steiner, Constanze Hochwartner – Binary Star (2021) [Official Digital Download 24bit/44,1kHz]

Peter Steiner, Constanze Hochwartner – Binary Star (2021)
FLAC (tracks) 24 bit/44,1 kHz | Time – 51:43 minutes | 448 MB | Genre: Classical
Studio Masters, Official Digital Download | Front Cover | © Berlin Classics

With ‘Binary Star’, trombonist Peter Steiner and organist Constanze Hochwartner take you on a journey through the infinite expanses of the cosmos. The program of the album unites different composers and spans the musical arc from the late romantic Gustav Mahler to the film music composer John Williams.

After the Austrian trombonist presented his album ‘Sapphire’ with Constanze Hochwartner on piano in 2018, the two pull out bigger guns on ‘Binary Star.’ These allow them to simultaneously present a range of sounds appropriate to the album’s theme and dust off the time-honored combination of wind instrument and organ. “This brilliant combination allows us to create a wide variety of timbres and to realize all the musical ideas we have in the best possible way,” say Peter Steiner and Constanze Hochwartner. Their program leads once across the galaxy and consists of orchestral literature, which the two arranged and had arranged for their instruments themselves.

Like the launch of a rocket, the musical prelude is Strauss’ ‘Also sprach Zarathustra’, probably the most famous and impressive introductory piece in music history. Gustav Holst’s ‘Planets’ is given its own unique character and sound by the new arrangement and instrumentation. This is followed by excerpts of ‘From the New World,’ Dvorak’s 9th Symphony, the energetic ‘Summon the Heroes’ by John Williams, Gustav Mahler’s ‘Urlicht’ and Andrew Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’ The finale – almost as if disappearing into the infinity of space – is an arrangement of Samuel Barber’s famous ‘Adagio’, originally for string orchestra, here for solo organ.

The realization of this album is associated with great enthusiasm for the duo. Steiner and Hochwartner are a well-rehearsed team, which is reflected in their musical interplay. “For three and a half years,” says Peter Steiner, “Constanze and I have been looking forward to this project. And I’m thrilled with the outstanding skills of Emily Horton, who wrote the arrangements.”

Tracklist:

01. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Strauss: Also sprach Zarathustra (Arr. for Trombone & Organ) (01:41)
02. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Holst: Mercury, the Winged Messenger (From the Planets, Op. 32) (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (02:47)
03. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Holst: Mars, the Bringer of War (From The Planets, Op. 32) (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (03:32)
04. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Holst: Venus, the Bringer of Peace (From The Planets, Op. 32) (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (02:33)
05. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Holst: Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age (From the Planets, Op. 32) (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (03:31)
06. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Holst: Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity (From The Planets, Op. 32) (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (03:44)
07. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Dvořák: Largo (From Symphony No. 9, Op. 95 “From the New World”) (Arr. for Trombone and Organ) (06:14)
08. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Williams: Summon the Heroes (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (03:44)
09. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Mahler: Urlicht (From Symphony No. 2) (Arr. for Trombone & Organ) (05:25)
10. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Webber: The Phantom of the Opera (Arr. For Trombone & Organ) (10:02)
11. Peter Steiner & Constanze Hochwartner – Barber: Adagio (Arr. for Organ) (08:26)

Download: