Ludovico Einaudi – ”Rose Bay”
The writer Henry David Thoreau famously said: “Our life is frittered away by detail… simplify, simplify.” The same, you might argue, goes for music, and no one encompasses the ‘simplify’ ideal more than Ludovico Einaudi. The first single off his new album “The Summer Portraits” combined just two elements: gorgeous, warm piano chords over slightly frantic violins. Supported by the video with its grainy old images of a childhood vacation by the sea, the tune evokes memories of endless summers.
Read more: Ludovico Einaudi’s Endless Summer
Max Richter – ”Movement, Before All Flowers”
Announcing the revered neoclassical pioneer’s ninth studio album “In a Landscape”, this single actually felt quite reminiscent of his iconic “Blue Notebooks” which turned 20 this year, closing a circle in Richter’s oeuvre. Composed for cello, violin and piano, “Movement, Before All Flowers” creates a hopeful, empowering atmosphere while at the same time inviting the listener to meditate and shift their focus towards the within.
Read more: Max Richter – Soundscapes & Landscapes
Meredi – ”Double Sky”
On this dreamy, romantic piece built around a repeating synth arpeggio from her promising EP “Flourish”, composer Meredi Arakelian sings in Armenian with a slight German accent, mirroring her multicultural roots in the most charming way. The monologue is inspired by Byzantine orthodox chants; it beautifully channels disappointment, longing and pain.
Read more: Meredi – An Alien On a Mission
Stephan Moccio – ”The Wanderer”
After decades of successfully composing for other artists as well as for film and TV, Canadian pianist and songwriter Stephan Moccio is now focusing on his very own artistic vision. One of the neoclassical highlights of the year, his solo piano album “Legends, Myths and Lavender” was recorded in meticulous process at Miraval studios, located in an old castle in the south of France; “The Wanderer” perfectly encapsulates the wild, romantic spirit of that record.
Read more: Stephan Moccio Recalibrates His Inner Voice
Balmorhea – ”Before Barbed Wire”
2024 gifted us a new standalone track from this much-loved, long-running instrumental post-rock ensemble from Austin, Texas. “‘Before Barbed Wire’ is a homage to the late American contemporary pianist George Winston, who had recorded a version of this piece on his seminal album “Plains”. A wide-screen, pastoral blend of piano and acoustic guitars with a slight hint of ambient country vibes – what’s not to love?
pølaroit – “Nocturne (Rework)”
A stellar remix of a composition by Lili Boulanger for the “Fragments II” compilation project. Electronic music duo pølaroit creates a housey mid-tempo tune that still carries the distinctive elements of the French composer’s work. With its perfectly balanced mix of analogue and digital sounds, it resembles some of the iconic works that Olafur Arnalds and Janus Rasmussen produced under their Kiasmos moniker in the mid-2010s.
Mari Samuelsen – ”Hania Rani: Glass”
“Glass”, originally performed on solo piano, is one of the standout tunes from Polish pianist, composer and singer Hania Rani’s stellar 2019 debut album “Esja”. This beautiful cover by Norwegian violinist Marie Samuelson which landed on her third solo album for Deutsche Grammophon, “LIFE”, revitalizes this gorgeous composition, while also highlighting the hopeful, powerful elements of the introspective tune.
Read more: Mari Samuelsen: On Music and Motherhood
Roger Eno – “Changing Light”
Ever since his collaboration album “Mixing Colours” with his famous brother Brian was released to critical and commercial success in 2020, the interest in late-bloomer Roger Eno’s solo work has skyrocketed as well. 2024 saw him releasing his newest album “the skies: rarities”, an afterthought to last year’s “the skies, they shift like chords”. “Changing Light” is the quintessential Roger Eno tune: In its elegant, minimalist qualities, it resembles some of the masterfully restrained piano music of the late Ryuichi Sakamoto.
Read more: Roger Eno – The De-Composer
Lambert – ”The Stranger”
After recent musical excursions into his jazz roots, neoclassical composer Lambert returned this year with a soundtrack to a movie that never got made – but the music was “Actually Good”! The main single “The Stranger” starts on the piano, then quickly adds jazzy guitar chords and vibes to the picture, veering off into surrealist Eiko Ishibashi / Ryusuke Hamaguchi territory. The perfect blend of Lambert’s trademark, melodic compositional style and his more experimental side.
Read more: Lambert Doesn’t Care About Authenticity
Erland Cooper – ”With Silence - Mtv. 3 - Pt. 1 ‘con la memoria’”
Known for emotive soundscapes closely mirroring the wild nature of his home country, Scottish composer Erland Cooper wrote a solo violin concerto and buried the single recordings of it in the soil of the Orkney islands. Upon reappearance some 18 months later, the music had “collaborated with nature” – and saw an official release as an album. The first “single” off “Carve The Runes Then Be Content With Silence” was a bold move, starting with a minute of white noise; but then, around the one-minute mark, the almost inaudible sound of a violin emerges from the deep. One of 2024’s most gripping moments on record.
Read more: The Tape That Erland Cooper Buried In The Earth
