Four English Folksongs

SKU: BT.AL-5289

English.

SKU: BA.BA08772

ISBN 9790006502349. 30 x 23 cm inches. Language: German/English. Preface: Knecht, Edgar.

Edgar Knecht is a jazz pianist who has created his own unique style. His dbut CD, “Good Morning Lilofee” (with four-piece combo), conquered the clubs and earned him invitations to international festivals. His treatment of the original melodies is refreshingly different from standard jazz arrangements: It is characterized by a free perception of the tunes, varied rhythms as well as unconventional harmonies. The same recipe for success underlies his second CD, “Dance On Deep Waters”, with which the Edgar Knecht Quartet is again going on tour, with many gigs lined up for spring and summer.

All eight of the songs in our edition offer agreeable and stimulating literature outside the classical and jazz pigeonholes for pianists everywhere, whether or not they dig German folksongs. Familiar tunes such as “Es freit der wilde Wassermann” or “Die Gedanken sind frei” gain a wholly new quality and pizzazz in his arrangements. Though based on the original songs, the pieces go far beyond them in form, harmony and rhythm, thereby turning the originals into top-quality jazz ballads. All the pieces have suggestions for improvised passages, usually with chords and written-out ostinato bass lines.

All the pieces are recorded on the like-named CD with Edgar Knecht at the piano, accompanied by his trio of bass, drums and percussion.


The Author
Edgar Knecht lives in Kassel (Germany), where he heads a piano school and tours with his combo. Since the age of 14 he has held concerts with his own piano pieces and written many theatre, film and TV scores. With his Edgar Knecht Trio he transforms German folksongs into fascinating jazz ballads with which he fills his programmes and venues.

Playlist:
www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh-AUh-Pv3D4lXqmq2cdu-ubVBDIfvxQJ

SKU: BT.DHP-1043758-020

9x12 inches. English-German-French-Dutch.

Singapore Rhapsody is an exciting work in two movements based on popular Malaysian folksongs. The songs that occur in the first movement are Rasa Sayang eh (a love song), Gelang Sipaku Gelang (a song about community spirit), Suriram (a song about a girl proclaiming her virtues) and Di-Tanjung Katong (a love song that takes place at the Cape Katong on the southeast coast of Singapore). The second movement features Lenggang Kangkung, which literally means “The swaying of the watercress,” Katang Lompat (a moralistic song about the symbolism of the frog) and finally Kenek kenek-lah Udang (a wedding song). Each movement of this enchanting work can be performed separately but acomplete performance will be the crowning moment of any concert.

Dit tweedelige werk is gebaseerd op populaire Maleisische volksliedjes. De liedjes uit het eerste deel zijn Rasa Sayang eh (een liefdesliedje), Gelang Sipaku Gelang (een liedje over gemeenschapszin), Suriram (overeen meisje dat haar eeuwige vriendschap aanbiedt) en Di-Tanjung Katong (een liefdeslied dat zich afspeelt aan de zuidoostkust van Singapore). Deel twee bestaat uit Lenggang Kangkung (letterlijk ‘het zwaaien vande waterkers’), Katang Lompat (over de symboliek van de kikker) en Kenek kenek-lah Udang (een bruiloftslied). De twee delen van Singapore Rhapsody kunnen prima los van elkaar worden uitgevoerd.

Jacob de Haans Komposition besteht aus zwei Sätzen, die auf malaysischen Volksliedern basieren: zwei Liebeslieder, ein Lied über die Freundschaft, zwei Lieder über die Natur sowie ein Hochzeitslied. Die beiden Sätze von Singapore Rhapsody sind nicht untrennbar miteinander verbunden; sie können daher auch problemlos getrennt voneinander aufgeführt werden. Bringen Sie mit dieser Rhapsodie etwas Exotik in Ihr nächstes Konzert!

Singapour, la cité du Lion, est l’un des plus importants carrefours d’Asie. Singapour mélange habilement les cultures chinoises, malaises, indiennes et occidentales. La musique traditionnelle est l’image de la multiethnicité de cette ville-état. Les deux mouvements de cette composition s’inspirent de chants traditionnels malais. Le premier mouvement développe quatre chants traditionnels de caractère contrastant et contrasté. Le second mouvement est basé sur les chants Lenggang Kangkung (qui dépeint le gracieux mouvement du cresson de rizière), Katang Lompat (une chanson moraliste qui évoque le symbolisme de la grenouille) et un chant de mariage. Les deux mouvements de cetterhapsodie ne sont pas intimement liés. Il est donc possible de les interpréter séparément.

Singapore, la citt del leone, è uno dei più importanti crocevia dell’Asia. Singapore mischia abilmente le culture provenienti dalla Cina, dalla Malesia, dall’India a quelle occidentali. La musica tradizionale è l’immagine delle molte etnie di questa citt -stato. I due movimenti di questa composizione si ispirano a canti tradizionali della Malesia. Il primo movimento sviluppa quattro canti tradizionali di carattere contrastante e contrastato. Il secondo movimento è basato sui canti Lenggang Kangkung e Katang Lompat, che, come d’abitudine in oriente, descrivono animali e l’ambiente in cui vivono legandoli a simbolismi, e un canto tradizionale in occasione di matrimoni. I duemovimenti di questa rapsodia non sono legati tra loro, rendendo possibile eseguirli separatamente.