Jeroen van Veen has won international success with albums of Satie, Part, Glass and Riley. These are only some of the most significant composers whose work he has recorded for Brilliant Classics in building a library on record of minimalist piano music. Simplicity, repetition and appealing melody are the qualities shared by all the composers who subscribe to this aesthetic, and they underlie van Veen's own compositions. Although subtitled Volume 2, this is the third album to focus exclusively on the pianist as composer. Books 1 and 2 of his Minimal Piano Preludes were reissued in 2016, and won high praise from MusicWeb International. Further preludes feature in a release of his piano music, and this sequel takes us up to Minimal Prelude No.60, a 'tango for organ'. "All my music is about time and space," says van Veen. "The duration of music is an essential part of the concept in my music. The concept of music, specifically my minimal oriented music, only can exist in time. The slow progression, building of the material, the motifs and the search for new sounds is audible in this [album]." All the works featured here were composed between 2010 and 2018. Continuum is a concertante work for piano and flute octet. Incanto is another album-length piece, entirely composed in an unusual 11/8 time signature. Ripalmania is written for six pianos, a scoring which creates an entrancing effect. In Velvet Piano van Veen explores the timbral possibilities of pianos prepared with objects after the style of John Cage, though without the American composer's aim of disconcerting the listener. The final portion of the release is a celebration of minimalist jazz, in which the border between composition and improvisation almost vanishes.

Tracklist:

Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, I
Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, II
Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, III
Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, IV
Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, V
Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, VI
Continuum, Pianoconcerto No. 1, Applause
Minimal Prelude 50 For Two Pianos
Incanto No. 2, Section 01
Incanto No. 2, Section 29
Incanto No. 2, Section Ossia 36
Incanto No. 2, Section 36
Incanto No. 2, Section 44
Incanto No. 2, Section 46
Incanto No. 2, Section 63
Minimal Prelude 48
Ripalmania For 6 Pianos, I
Ripalmania For 6 Pianos, II
Ripalmania For 6 Pianos, III
Ripalmania For 6 Pianos, IV
Ripalmania For 6 Pianos, V
Ripalmania For 6 Pianos, VI
In Sea, For Any Combination Of Instruments
Minimal Prelude 41
Minimal Prelude 46
Minimal Prelude 47
Minimal Prelude 49 For Piano And Tape Delay
Minimal Prelude 51, Hotwax
Minimal Prelude 52, For Mike
Minimal Prelude 53
Minimal Prelude 58, For Luk Perceval
Minimal Prelude 54
Minimal Prelude 55
Minimal Prelude 56
Minimal Prelude For Two Rippen Grand Pianos And 6 Ebows
Almost Six O'clock
Una Corda
Velvet Piano, Looping I
Velvet Piano, Into Space
Velvet Piano, Intemite
Velvet Piano, Deepness
Velvet Piano, Looping II
Velvet Piano, In 5
Velvet Piano, Toy Piano
Velvet Piano, Rhythmical Pleasure
Velvet Piano, Looping III
Minimal Prelude 60, Tango For Organ
Ebow4two
Building
Inside Out
Muted String
Dreaming
Rocking
Back To F
Sambanova
Two Ways
On The Move
With A Little Help From My Piano

UPC: 5028421955612
Label: Brilliant Classics
Release Date: 7.27.18
Format: CD

Jeroen Van Veen - Piano Music 2 (CD)