Aristo Sham Timeline (CD)

TIMELINE Aristo Sham BusoniJ.S. Bach: Chaconne from Violin Partita No.2 J.S. Bach: Sleepers AwakeEdvard GriegHolberg Suites Bach Busoni Grieg 29 2025172009 The New York TimesGramophone BrahmsPiano Concerto No. 2 Track List: JOHANN SEBESTIAN BACH (1685-1750)1 Toccata in C minor, BWV 911 JOHANN SEBESTIAN BACH / arr. FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866-1924)2 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 6453 Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) / arr. FERRUCCIO BUSONI 6 Chorale Preludes4 Herzlich tut mich erfreuen, Op. 122, No. 45 Schmcke dich, o Liebe Seele, Op. 122, No. 56 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Op. 122, No. 87 Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Op. 122, No. 98 Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Op. 122, No. 109 Welt, ich mu dich lassen, Op. 122, No. 11 FERRUCCIO BUSONI10 10 Variations on Chopin Prelude in C minor, BV 213a EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)Holberg Suite, Op. 4011 I. Praeludium12 II. Sarabande13 III. Gavotte – Musette14 IV. Air15 V. Rigaudon Aristo Sham I am drawn to music that is borne of the rhythm of the universe music that dances uponthe inevitability of how time and space proceeds, music that re ects upon nature in all itsperspectives and crevices elements that all of us can resonate with in our own way,emotional, intellectually, and physiologically.I have curated a programme that adheres to this principle, and with embracing time andspace, we naturally come to the principles of transformation and a sense of timeliness; atimelessness that looks both forwards and backwards in time. Music is played out in time,it is the use of time that gives music its language; music also exists in time, it belongs tothe period of time of its creation, but also reveals something of the temporal continuum a blend of foresight and tradition a timeline.The passage of time paints a unique feeling a delightful, bittersweet mixture of nostalgia,gratitude, memory, and anticipation a subdued emotional vortex of sorts: sitting by thewindow on a plane, watching worlds and lives pass by underneath us, after a joyousreunion with loved ones (never long enough); or ones own transformation through time ina place of still nature, where none are the agents of change but everything is undergoingconstant change; or witnessing the acquisition of wisdom (or stubbornness) through timein those dear to us. It is one that I am incredibly fond of, and a precious place that I wouldlove to share with my listeners through music.With this album, I hope to capture these gratifying slithers of the experience of life throughthe vastly differing timelines of the compositions featured, and to create a uniqueoverarching timeline where we allow ourselves to be inspired by the journey of time, to feelthe passage of time, to enjoy the spirit of time. Every piece in the record holds its own interpretation of these aforementioned ideas. Westart with pure Bach and end with pure Grieg, looking towards each other (unbeknownstto the former), traversing through four Busoni transcriptions and compositions which allhave very different opinions on how they respond to the concept of time, place, and era.In the C minor Toccata, Bach takes a theme (an inspired, timeless one which could havealso been created yesterday) and reiterates it 17 times practically verbatim throughvarying surroundings, miraculously creating a narrative that is both complete andcompelling transformation of an idea in the purest sense and a powerful experience ofthe passage of time and place the raw experience of being transported through milieuxand states of mind.The four Busoni pieces are as far from each other as can be with regards to their approachand treatment of material, each also with an eye on mortality. With the Bach as aspringboard, the Busoni transcription of Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (also known asSleepers Awake) is as pure of a transcription as can be, almost stark, or barren, which isan artistic and aesthetic choice and message in its own right, especially given the bene tof hindsight which Busoni enjoyed. The Bach-Busoni Chaconne, however, takes a timelessmasterpiece encapsulating the greatest depths and heights of loss, grief, and hope, andeshes it out to the maximum limit of what the material can handle, in a mannerreminiscent of an organ symphony: one foot in the Baroque, and another in the lateRomantic, some 170 years later, to create worlds embedded between. Emotions areheightened, the scope is ballooned, and the potential of the instrument is unleashed andfully taken advantage of.The Brahms-Busoni Organ Chorale Preludes represent a hybrid of the two modes, closerto the original word of Brahms, with subtle harmonic stylisation which almost act as acommentary. It also develops on the theme of mortality, being Brahms nal composition,where there is surprisingly little sorrow, but more of dignity and re ection poems ongratitude, grace, celebrating a life of ful lment, tinged with melancholy and regret, butonly ever so slightly.With 10 Variations on Chopin Prelude in C minor, Busoni takes an iconic, sombre, andstirring theme, and proceeds to take it apart in all sorts of unexpected and inventive ways,unabashedly whirling the theme through exotic timelines. While adhering to his aestheticof intellectual virtuosity, Busoni pursues his path almost with playful disregard of theoriginal subject matter, ending with a series of winks to the listener and a bombastic nale.To conclude, we arrive at Griegs Fra Holbergs tid (From Holbergs Time), more commonlyknown as the Holberg Suite, which garnered popularity as a string orchestra staple, andwhose provenance as a piano piece is little known. Grieg looks backwards in time througha lens of affection and purity, conceiving a Baroque suite of the Romantic era. Theingenious interplay of time periods, and the desire to live among many in tandem fascination with the unknown and the known is deeply personal and one that everyonecan respond to in their own way.I hope that this record paints a portrait of one of the key tenets in my artistic personality,and illustrates a compelling journey through some music that is incredibly dear to me. It isa privilege to live among great works of art which re ect and embody such intimate andethereal ideas, and I wish to create an emotional resonance that will contribute somethingto the experience of life of everyone who enjoys my art. The presence and unfolding of timeis a miraculous, beautiful and transcendent thing, and I invite you all to nd and relish inyour own timeline of this music.