Assisted by the Netherlands’s Metropole Orkest, composer and pianist Peter Jonatan recently released his bravura debut album, Psalms Symphony, an album that will place Peter Jonatan dead center on the musical map. Psalms Symphony demonstrates the potential of classical techniques, modern technology, and proper ear training.
Talking about Psalms Symphony, Jonatan says, “It’s the culmination of my musical styles and inspirations, merging classical and jazz with cinematic influence from film and game scoring, gospels, and traditional hymns.”
A piano prodigy from the age of four when he began playing in his native Jakarta, Indonesia, Jonatan obtained a Doctor of Musical Arts in Jazz Studies from the prestigious New England Conservatory, where is now a professor, as well as an Associate Professor at Berklee College of Music in Boston. His teachings focus on ear training, and he has several podcasts on the topic and other techniques on his YouTube channel.
Jonatan’s work has been performed by the Prague and Budapest Symphony Orchestras, as well as Lake Street Dive with NEC Jazz Orchestra, and Philharmonia Strings. After releasing several singles that were performed by these prestigious orchestras, Jonatan collaborated with Europe’s world-class orchestra, the Metropole Orkest in Hilversum in the Netherlands on his debut album.
Emulating golden age film composers like Max Steiner and Franz Waxman, but with loads of modern twists a’ la Philip Glass, only the most accomplished musicians, from strings to horns to conductor, could pull off these complex pieces.
Encompassing four movements, “movement 1” launches listeners on a grandiose adventure, one replete with dramatic orchestral strokes, ebbing and rising resonance, and bold brass, followed by descending to an elegant jazz piano.
“movement 2” opens on a solo piano leading to soft orchestral tones, including flute and oboe. Then the tune flows into a jazz narrative silhouetted against luscious symphonic textures. Whereas the intro to “movement 3” features gliding classical surfaces leading to a surprising and delicious antiphonal section, drums juxtaposed against orchestral responses.
Finishing the album off in grand style, “movement 4” begins with a choir that re-enters throughout the piece. A booming conclusion ties the album off with unquestionable aplomb.
Wonderfully arranged and structured, Psalms Symphony mixes interweaving layers of classical and jazz into a brilliant musical presentation.
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