Oliver Davis: Blue Beth & Flo, Oliver Davis, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Paul Bateman

• Oliver Davis (b. 1972): Sea Dances for 4 Hands and Strings:
• 1 Davis: Sea Dances for 4 Hands and Strings: I. The Puffer Fish 03:01
• 2 Davis: Sea Dances for 4 Hands and Strings: II. Graceful Giants 02:05
• Coral Suite:
• 3 Davis: Coral Suite: I 04:00
• 4 Davis: Coral Suite: II 03:15
• 5 Davis: Coral Suite: III 03:05
• The Water Garden:
• 6 Davis: The Water Garden 03:02
• Water Variations and Theme:
• 7 Davis: Water Variations and Theme: Variation I 02:50
• 8 Davis: Water Variations and Theme: Variation II 02:19
• 9 Davis: Water Variations and Theme: Variation III 02:05
• 10 Davis: Water Variations and Theme: Theme 02:35
• Tango:
• 11 Davis: Tango 02:39
• Dream Songs:
• 12 Davis: Dream Songs: Daybreak 02:52
• 13 Davis: Dream Songs: Drift 02:12
• 14 Davis: Dream Songs: Lost 02:55
• 15 Davis: Dream Songs: Home 03:03
• Shoals:
• 16 Davis: Shoals: I 02:01
• 17 Davis: Shoals: II 02:37
• 18 Davis: Shoals: III 02:59
• Blue:
• 19 Davis: Blue 02:16
• Total Runtime 51:51

Info for Oliver Davis: Blue

Dies ist das erste Album von Oliver Davis, das dem Klavier gewidmet ist, und zwar zwei Pianisten, dem niederländischen Klavierduo Beth & Flo. Auf dem Album ist dieses dynamische Duo zu hören, das sowohl vierhändig als auch auf zwei Klavieren mit vollem Orchester spielt. In dem Liederzyklus Siren Songs" singen die Sopranistinnen Grace Davidson und Julia Doyle sowie Graces Sohn, der Chorsänger Joshua Davidson. Das Thema des Albums ist das Wasser in seinen vielen Formen, mit Liedern, die eine Flussreise beschreiben, Seetänzen für vier Hände und Streicher, Seewalzern und den Wasservariationen. Das Eröffnungsstück, The Water Garden, wird eine von drei Singles sein, die vor der Veröffentlichung des Albums veröffentlicht werden. Die Pianisten und Sänger werden vom Royal Philharmonic Orchestra unter der Leitung von Paul Bateman begleitet.

Grace Davidson, Sopran
Julia Doyle, Sopran
Oliver Davis, Tenor, Celesta und Harfe
Joshua Davidson, Diskant
Beth & Flo, Klavier
Königliches Philharmonisches Orchester
Paul Bateman, Leitung

Oliver Davis
graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1994 and has since established himself as a preeminent composer for ballet, film & TV, and the concert hall. His albums on Signum Records have consistently charted highly in the UK Classical Charts and achieved regular airplay, notably on Classic FM and New York radio station WQXR.

Davis’ debut album ‘Flight’ (2015) was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra with soloist Kerenza Peacock and quickly rose to number 2 in the UK Specialist Classical Charts with 5 Star reviews in both the UK and US. It was chosen as Featured Album of the Week on Classic FM and broadcast daily on the station. Several pieces from the ‘Flight’ album were used by choreographer Ma Cong for a new ballet for the Tulsa Ballet Company in Oklahoma, USA.

Davis’ second album ‘Seasons’ was released later that same year and featured Anno, Davis’ contemporary take on Vivaldi’s Quattro Stagioni. ‘Seasons’ also charted in the UK top 10 and was Album of the Week on Classic FM and in the Mail on Sunday. Davis’ third album ‘Dance’ (2016) was recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road studios and became Classic FM’s Album of the Week, also featuring in their ‘Best of 2016’ show. Various pieces from the ‘Dance’ and ‘Flight’ albums were used by emerging choreographer Peter Walker in his new ballet Dance Odyssey for New York City Ballet. Following the ballet’s premiere in Jan 2018, The New York Times described Davis’ music as “charming, lyrical, Arcadian”.

Davis’ fourth album ‘Liberty’ (2018) reached number 1 in the iTunes Classical Chart and was also Classic FM’s Album of the Week. Music from the album has proved popular with choreographers internationally, featuring in Peter Walker’s ballet ‘Morpheus’ for the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, Germany; in Matthew Neenan’s ballet ‘Bacchus’ for Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, USA; and in Kit Holder’s ballet ‘Stems’ for the Birmingham Royal Ballet, UK.

In 2017 Davis was commissioned by San Francisco Ballet to write a new score for The Infinite Ocean, a ballet choreographed by Edwaard Liang, the first of many collaborations between the two. The ballet premiered as part of SFB’s Unbound Festival in April 2018 and has since toured to Washington DC’s Kennedy Center and London’s Sadler’s Wells. It will feature in SFB’s 2020 Dance Innovations programme and will be released on Davis’ forthcoming album ‘Arcadia’, due for release in October.

In 2019, Davis and Liang also collaborated on ‘Constant Light’, a ballet for Ballet West’s Choreographic Festival that premiered in May in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their next collaboration will be for New York City Ballet’s prestigious 2019 Fall Fashion Gala. Their new ballet will feature costumes designed by fashion icon Anna Sui.

Oliver Davis graduated from the Royal Academy of Music in 1994 and has since established himself as a preeminent composer for ballet, film & TV, and the concert hall. His albums on Signum Records have consistently charted highly in the UK Classical Charts and achieved regular airplay, notably on Classic FM and New York radio station WQXR.

Davis’ debut album ‘Flight’ (2015) was recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra with soloist Kerenza Peacock and quickly rose to number 2 in the UK Specialist Classical Charts with 5 Star reviews in both the UK and US. It was chosen as Featured Album of the Week on Classic FM and broadcast daily on the station. Several pieces from the ‘Flight’ album were used by choreographer Ma Cong for a new ballet for the Tulsa Ballet Company in Oklahoma, USA.

Davis’ second album ‘Seasons’ was released later that same year and featured Anno, Davis’ contemporary take on Vivaldi’s Quattro Stagioni. ‘Seasons’ also charted in the UK top 10 and was Album of the Week on Classic FM and in the Mail on Sunday. Davis’ third album ‘Dance’ (2016) was recorded by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road studios and became Classic FM’s Album of the Week, also featuring in their ‘Best of 2016’ show. Various pieces from the ‘Dance’ and ‘Flight’ albums were used by emerging choreographer Peter Walker in his new ballet Dance Odyssey for New York City Ballet. Following the ballet’s premiere in Jan 2018, The New York Times described Davis’ music as “charming, lyrical, Arcadian”.

Davis’ fourth album ‘Liberty’ (2018) reached number 1 in the iTunes Classical Chart and was also Classic FM’s Album of the Week. Music from the album has proved popular with choreographers internationally, featuring in Peter Walker’s ballet ‘Morpheus’ for the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, Germany; in Matthew Neenan’s ballet ‘Bacchus’ for Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle, USA; and in Kit Holder’s ballet ‘Stems’ for the Birmingham Royal Ballet, UK.

In 2017 Davis was commissioned by San Francisco Ballet to write a new score for The Infinite Ocean, a ballet choreographed by Edwaard Liang, the first of many collaborations between the two. The ballet premiered as part of SFB’s Unbound Festival in April 2018 and has since toured to Washington DC’s Kennedy Center and London’s Sadler’s Wells. It will feature in SFB’s 2020 Dance Innovations programme and will be released on Davis’ forthcoming album ‘Arcadia’, due for release in October.

In 2019, Davis and Liang also collaborated on ‘Constant Light’, a ballet for Ballet West’s Choreographic Festival that premiered in May in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Booklet for Oliver Davis: Blue