Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works Alice Sara Ott

• Jóhann Jóhannsson (1969 - 2018):
• 1 Jóhannsson: Bað (Performed on Piano) 02:40
• 2 Jóhannsson: Odi et Amo/Krókódíll (Performed on Piano) 02:36
• 3 Jóhannsson: Englabörn (Performed on Piano) 04:22
• 4 Jóhannsson: Jói & Karen (Performed on Piano) 03:37
• 5 Jóhannsson: Flugeldar II (From "Dís") [Performed on Piano] 02:20
• 6 Jóhannsson: Já, Hemmi Minn (From "Dís") [Performed on Piano] 02:08
• 7 Jóhannsson: Ruslpóstur (From "Dís") [Performed on Piano] 02:19
• 8 Jóhannsson: The Sun’s Gone Dim and the Sky’s Turned Black (Performed on Piano) 04:47
• 9 Jóhannsson: Melodia (iii) (Performed on Piano) 04:47
• 10 Jóhannsson: Theme (From "Varmints") [Performed on Piano] 03:20
• 11 Jóhannsson: Dressing Up (From "Personal Effects") [Performed on Piano] 01:07
• 12 Jóhannsson: Linda & Walter (From "Personal Effects") 01:03
• 13 Jóhannsson: Indian Wedding (From "Personal Effects") [Performed on Piano] 01:29
• 14 Jóhannsson: He Says It’s The Future (From "Copenhagen Dreams") [Performed on Piano] 02:32
• 15 Jóhannsson: Eleven Thousand Six Hundred and Sixty-Nine Died of Natural Causes (From "Copenhagen Dreams") [Performed on Piano] 01:24
• 16 Jóhannsson: Flight from the City (Performed on Piano) 04:44
• 17 Jóhannsson: Innocence (From "Free the Mind") 01:32
• 18 Jóhannsson: Will’s Story I (From "Free the Mind") 01:21
• 19 Jóhannsson: Time to Say Goodbye (From "White Black Boy") [Performed on Piano] 02:25
• 20 Jóhannsson: Payphone (From "McCanick") [Performed on Piano] 03:39
• 21 Jóhannsson: A Game of Croquet (From "The Theory of Everything") [Performed on Piano] 02:45
• 22 Jóhannsson: A Model of the Universe (From "The Theory of Everything") [Performed on Piano] 02:09
• 23 Jóhannsson: The Theory of Everything (From "The Theory of Everything") [Performed on Piano] 01:31
• 24 Jóhannsson: Beauty (From "Blind Massage") [Performed on Piano] 01:48
• 25 Jóhannsson: A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder (Performed on Piano) 02:27
• 26 Jóhannsson: By The Roes, And By The Hinds Of The Field (Performed on Piano) 02:13
• 27 Jóhannsson: Good Morning, Midnight (Performed on Piano) 02:55
• 28 Jóhannsson: The Drowned World (Performed on Piano) 02:02
• 29 Jóhannsson: The Radiant City (Performed on Piano) 01:46
• 30 Jóhannsson: Be Over (From "The Shadow Play") [Performed on Piano] 01:37
• Total Runtime 01:15:25

Info for Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works

Pianist Alice Sara Ott presents the work of Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (1969–2018) as never heard before. She has made the world premiere recordings of a new volume of piano transcriptions – published as a limited edition by Faber Music – which capture the essence of 30 of his most famous works. As composer Dustin O’Halloran writes in the introduction to the book, “Jóhann’s music, in its timelessness, will forever remain vibrant and alive”.

The selection spans Jóhannsson’s career, from studio albums such as Englabörn and Orphée to the pioneering scores he wrote for documentaries or feature films such as Copenhagen Dreams, Personal Effects and the Golden-Globe-winning The Theory of Everything. Two digital EPs will be released by Deutsche Grammophon before the end of 2025, with the full 30-track album following next spring.

Though Alice Sara Ott never met Jóhann Jóhannsson, she had always loved his music. In preparing for this unique project, she spoke to several of his friends and colleagues to gain greater insight into his work and processes: “As I worked on these pieces – internalising the musical architecture, shapes and language of Jóhann’s music – it actually felt like a very personal dialogue with him.”

Alice then travelled to Reykjavík in July 2024 to record all 30 tracks at the studio of Grammy-nominated producer and engineer Bergur Þórisson, who had himself worked with Jóhannsson in the past. She played most of the pieces on Þórisson’s old upright piano, having fallen in love with the sense of nostalgia conjured by its felted sound.

“What’s so incredible about Jóhann Jóhannsson’s music,” concludes Ott, “is how his compositions, originally written for larger ensembles and different instruments, translate so beautifully to the piano. Within this more focused and intimate sound world, the writing reveals hidden nuances and enhances the purity and clarity that are so intrinsic to his music.”

Alice Sara Ott, piano

Please Note: we do not offer the 192kHz version of this album, because our analysis clearly showed, that the 192kHz does not reach a frequency spectrum, that would justify to offer 192kHz. Hence we offer the 96kHz version.

Alice Sara Ott
In less than five years, the twenty-five year old German-Japanese pianist Alice Sara Ott has gained critical acclaim for her performances at major concert halls worldwide and has established herself as one of the most exciting musical talents of today.

Recent concerts have seen Alice perform with the Münchner Philharmoniker in Munich and the NHK Symphony Orchestra in Tokyo, both under Lorin Maazel, and a very successful European tour with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra under Krzysztof Urbański. In recital, she had great success with her recitals in London’s International Piano Series, Chicago Symphony Center, New York’s Le Poisson Rouge, Hamburg’s Laeiszhalle and Berlin’s Kammermusiksaal.

Highlights of the 2013/14 season include appearances with the Philharmonia Orchestra (Vladimir Ashkenazy), Washington’s National Symphony Orchestra (Neeme Järvi), Chamber Orchestra of Europe (Thomas Dausgaard) and tours with Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Hannu Lintu), Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra (Vasily Petrenko) and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France (Myung-Whun Chung). In recital, she makes return visits to Beethovensaal in Stuttgart, Prinzregententheater in Munich and Vienna’s Konzerthaus.

In previous seasons she has appeared with the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra (Sakari Oramo), London Symphony Orchestra (Daniel Harding), San Francisco Symphony (Pablo Heras-Casado), Danish National Symphony Orchestra (Robin Ticciati), Philharmonia Orchestra (Leif Segerstam), and hr-Sinfonieorchester (Paavo Järvi).

Alice has recorded exclusively for Deutsche Grammophon since 2008, with her highly successful debut recording of Liszt’s 12 Études d’exécution transcendante quickly followed by a second album of Chopin’s complete waltzes, entering both the German and US Classical iTunes charts at No.1. Alice’s debut concerto album, with works by Tchaikovsky and Liszt (with the Münchner Philharmoniker and Thomas Hengelbrock) was named Editor’s Choice in both International Piano and Classic FM magazines. Alice was also awarded the prize for Young Artist of the Year at the Echo Klassik Awards for her Chopin recording in October 2010. Her performance of Mussorgsky’s Pictures from an Exhibition at the Mariinsky Theatre, was recorded live in July 2012 during the White Nights Festival in St Petersburg and was released in January 2013. Upcoming recording projects include a two piano programme based on Russian ballet with Francesco Tristano in autumn 2013, and which will be on worldwide tour in 2014/15 season.

Francesco Tristano
a young musician and composer causing a stir on the club scene as well as in classical concert venues is probably a world-first. It may also be the first time that purists from the classical and techno camps actually agree on something – That they don’t know quite what to make of this young musician who refuses to stick to the rules. For Francesco Tristano this kind of reaction is nothing new. Experienced concert audiences and classical music lovers may feel equally baffled when they hear a pianist blend and mix his own composition – just like a DJ – into a piece by baroque composer Girolamo Frescobaldi…

The intrepidness with Francesco Tristano combines eras and styles, occasionally allowing them to collide, may initially create a baffled response. However, Luxembourg-born Tristano has no aspirations as an agitator. Almost everything he does is an expression of an open-minded attitude which refuses to accept borders and constrictions. Tristano knows all about the interpretational conventions that have shaped generations of classical pianists – and he has chosen to ignore them. He does not seek approval as an artist and when his dynamic performance emotively basks in the intrinsic severity of Old music – that’s when he’s truly radical.

Tristano, born in 1981, discovered the piano at the age of five. Aged 13, he played his first concert, presenting his own compositions. He later toured both as a soloist and with renowned orchestras, such as the Russian National Orchestra, the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, and the Hanoi Philharmonic Orchestra among others. Tristano founded his chamber ensemble, The New Bach Players which he also conducts. This ensemble consciously breaks with conventions, using a modern grand piano and old, vibratoless bows on contemporary string instruments.

Tristano visited New York’s Juilliard School during five years. The city of New York opened his ears to electronic and club music. to complete Bach legend Rosalyn Tureck’s master class. In 2004, he won the first prize at the International piano competition for contemporary music in Orléans, France. Tristano has released twelve albums, among them recordings of Bach Goldberg Variations and complete keyboard concertos, Luciano Berio complete piano works, and Girolamo Frescobaldi Toccatas. ‘Not for Piano’ (inFine, 2007), presented his own compositions as well as versions of techno classics at the piano. ‘Idiosynkrasia’ (inFine, 2010), recorded at Carl Craig’s Planet E-communications in Detroit, was released to critical acclaim in 2010. Tristano is a Deutsche Grammophon artist and is about to release his third album on that label. His ‘bachCage’, produced by Moritz von Oswald, was released on DGG in 2011. His collaborative tracks and remixes have been released on labels such as Innervisions, CLR, Visionquest, PIAS and Inflyte.

Booklet for Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works