Jan Gunnar Hoff – Stories (2016) [Blu-ray Audio / BDMV / 19.95 GB / 2L-131]

Genre: Classical
Label: 2L (Lindberg Lyd)
Location: Sofienberg Church, Norway
Release date: December 2016
Recording date: August 2016
Original Quality: Mastering in DXD (352.8kHz/24bit)
Quality: Blu-ray Audio
Duration: 00:57:03
Video: MPEG-4 AVC 950 kbps / 1080i / 29,970 fps / 16:9 / High Profile 4.1
Audio
Music: LPCM 2.0 (192kHz, 24-bit)
Music: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (192kHz, 24-bit)
Music: Auro-3D
Music: Dolby Atmos
Note: Auro-3D 9.1 (96kHz/24bit), Dolby Atmos 9.1 (48kHz/24bit)
Size: 19.95 GB

“Music for me, as pianist and composer, is a quest for depth and a quest to find a bridge between my emotions and the piano. When I begin I am uncertain about where the journey will take me and how it will end. It is important that compositions and improvisations constitute a natural whole. And classic songs like “God Only Knows” are stories and they must be told in a personal manner. Putting it all together in an album is exciting and rewarding.” – Jan Gunnar Hoff

STORIES is Jan Gunnar Hoff’s third solo piano album on the 2L label and is a sequel to his critically acclaimed album LIVING from 2013. On the new release Hoff stretches his creative abilities, presenting contrasting compositions and improvisations, in a distinctly personal mixture. Some of the pieces are meditative and expressive, while others have a strong rhythmic vibe. Stories also displays Hoff as an arranger, presenting versions of classics like “God Only Knows” and the traditional Swedish folk song “Värmlandsvisan”.

Immersive Audio is a sonic sculpture that you can literally move around and relate to spatially; surrounded by music you can move about in the aural space and choose angles, vantage points and positions. Dolby Atmos and the Auro-3D on this Pure Audio Blu-ray delivers a new standard in immersion, fully enveloping the audience in a cocoon of life-like audio. Recorded in discrete 11.1 at DXD resolution.

“For meg som pianist og komponist er musikk en søken etter dybde og å finne en bro mellom følelser og instrument. Jeg prøver å fange et øyeblikk eller synke inn i en stemning og deretter bruke de virkemidlene jeg har for å formidle historien. Jeg velger å følge et personlig spor istedenfor å tilpasse meg et stilisert format eller låse meg i en klart definert genre. Dermed vet jeg ikke alltid hvor ferden går eller hvor vi ender til slutt. Det er noe av det som gjør det spennende å jobbe med musikk og med en utgivelse som Stories.” – Jan Gunnar Hoff

STORIES er Jan Gunnar Hoffs tredje solo pianoalbum for 2L og en oppfølger til den kritikerroste LIVING fra 2013. Stories er i likhet med tidligere album influert av klassisk, jazz og populærmusikk og tar konseptet videre i en friere og mere innholdsrik musikalsk palette. Stories viser Hoff som pianolyriker og låtskriver men platen inneholder også kontrasterende rytmiske stykker og versjoner av klassikere som “Värmlandsvisan” og “God Only Knows”.

2l.no

Tracklist:

Recorded in Sofienberg Church, Norway, August 2016
01. Värmlandsvisan 00:04:39
02. The Elder 00:04:48
03. Playground 00:03:33
04. God Only Knows 00:03:56
05. Absence 00:03:46
06. Figment I 00:02:48
07. Good Things 00:03:19
08. Answer Me 00:04:22
09. Figment II 00:02:50
10. Within 00:04:35
11. Stranger 00:02:52
12. Blossom 00:05:03
13. Figment III 00:02:01
14. Journey Home 00:03:47
15. Reminiscence 00:04:38