Uri Caine Ensemble - Metamorphosis (Classical Meets Jazz and Modern) (2015) [Hi-Res]

The album „Metamorphosis“ centers around the adaptations of composers and interpreters such as Uri Caine, the ensemble Kneebody, Reinbert de Leeuw and the Schönberg Ensemble, Barbara Sukowa and her band The X-Patsys, Fumio Yasuda and Stefan Zeniuk with the brass group Gato Loco and moves them in the focus. Their works stand for competence, creativity and musical innovation. The arrangements and performances represent an attempt to re-read historical musical texts from a todays perspective, by transferring them to new – sometimes formerly unknown – instruments and by filtering out existing elements, which are hidden. The re-interpretations open up unimagined perspectives to experience and enjoy the historic masters. Adaptations belong to the craft of composers and musicians since the early days of music. Bach deals with Vivaldi's music, Schumann with Bach's compositions, Mahler with Beethoven. Experiencing old masterpieces in an adaptation by contemporary artists has until today not lost any of its appeal.

„Metamorphosis“ dedicates itself to reharmonization, instrumentation and new interpretations of songs. It starts with an excerpt from Verdi's „Otello“ created by Uri Caine. Caine is represented with five pieces on this CD. Besides Giuseppe Verdi he reworks Richard Wagner, whose „Lohengrin“ overture he does not perform with an orchestra but a coffee house ensemble. Caine's Mahler adaptations belong to his most known transformations, the „Rhinelegend“ he entrusts to actor Sepp Bierbichler. Parts of Bach's „Goldberg Variations“ he plays himself on a Hammond Organ with Leslie and the choir Kettwiger Bach Ensemble. At the final he abducts Bach together with the singer Barbara Walker into the world of gospel. Reinbert de Leeuw orchestrates for Barbara Sukowa and the Schönberg Ensemble Robert Schumann's „Wehmut“. Sukowa celebrats her international breakthrough as Lola in Rainer Werner Fassbinder's film with the same name, directs together with her husband, the artist Robert Longo, the rock band the X-Patsys. In this formation she performs Andreas Gryphius's poem „An die Sternen“ and Kurt Weill's „Lost in the Stars“ with e-guitar sounds and new rhythms. The Japanese composer and pianist Fumio Yasuda turns towards Verdi and arranges the „Bilbao-Song“ of Weill for singer Theo Bleckmann. Guy Klucesvek rewrites Schubert's „Leiermann“ for saxophone and accordion, an instrument that did not exist yet during Schubert's lifetime. Maybe Schubert witnessed in Vienna still the sound of the physharmonica, a predecessor of the accordion. The youngest arranger on this album is Stefan Zeniuk who completely overhauls Verdi's „Messa da Requiem“ with a kind of banda and in that way guides it to a new audience. The album title »Metamorphosis« might remind Latin students of Ovid's hexameter, his timeless texts remain unforgettable, as much as these metamorphoses are great entertainment on a highest level.

Uri Caine Ensemble
Guy Klucevsek & Phillip Johnston
Kneebody & Theo Bleckmann
Reinbert de Leeuw & Schönberg Ensemble
Barbara Sukowa & The X-Patsys
Fumio Yasuda
Stefan Zeniuk & Gato Loco

Tracklist:
01. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Othello's Victory (5:42)
02. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Wehmut (2:28)
03. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - The Big Sleep (9:05)
04. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Songs My Mother Taught Me (7:15)
05. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - An Die Sternen (1:33)
06. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Lost in the Stars (4:05)
07. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Lohengrin, 1. Akt, Ouvertüre (8:55)
08. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Ave Maria Piena Di Grazia (3:51)
09. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Der Bilbao-Song (5:48)
10. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Die, You Sucka! (3:43)
11. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Rheinlegend (3:23)
12. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Der Leiermann (3:09)
13. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - Uri's Organ Prelude (5:16)
14. Uri Caine Ensemble, G. Klucevsek, P. Johnston, Kneebody, T. Bleckmann, R. de Leeuw, Schönberg Ensemble, B. Sukowa, F. Yasuda, S.Zeniuk, Gato Loco, The X-Patsys - The Blessing Variation (4:48)