Een nieuwe, heel spannende, serie gestart vanuit de Rough Trade-winkels is Behind The Counter With. Het betreft een serie waarbij ze hun favoriete artiesten vroegen een compilatie samen te stellen van hun eigen favoriete muziek. Dat op zich klinkt niet zo superspannend maar wel als je de juiste artiesten uitkiest. Artiesten zonder genrerestricties, met een fijne muzikale grilligheid en een zeer brede muzikale beleving.

Voor het eerste deel in de serie strikte Rough Trade meestercomponist Max Richter. De absoluut ideale man om dat te doen zo blijkt al snel. Zijn klassieke achtergrond en grote liefde voor zowel strijkers als arrangement-technische complexiteit leidt hem van het klassieke eerste gedeelte al snel naar het vernieuwende Roomful of Teeth maar net zo goed naar Mogwai, Boards of Canada, Let’s Eat Grandma, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith, Philip Glass, Aphex Twin en Low.

De manier waarop het album is samengesteld, in de mix op dubbel-cd en met afzonderlijke tracks op een werkelijk schitterend uitgevoerde vinyluitvoering, soms fraai achter elkaar in vloeiende lijn dan weer lekker dwars en divers waardoor elk geselecteerde stuk muziek uitzonderlijke goed tot zijn recht komt. Luister alleen al naar die overgang van Pieces For Cello And Piano_No. 1. Modere uitgevoerd door cellist Nicolas Alstaedt en pianist Jose Gallardo naar Ether van Mogwai. Wat een emotie komt daar vrij.

Van zijn eigen werk (zoals het magistrale Sleep van twee jaar terug) weten we dat Richter een sfeermens is die met maar weinig elementen tot de diepste emoties kan komen. Behind The Counter With is van dezelfde orde. Richter trekt je met deze zeer uitgebreide compilatie zijn eigen muzikale wereld in, een wereld die intelligent en intrigerend is. De muziek die hij selecteerde is zowel belangrijk voor zijn eigen muzikale ontwikkeling geweest als dat het samenstellen van deze compilatie, waarbij alles wat er in de Rough Trade-winkels te koop is, de basis vormt, hem tot veel nieuwe muzikale inzichten bracht. Zodoende vinden we dan naast Rachmaninoff en Bach ineens het overweldigende Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls van Godspeed You! Black Emperor als albumafsluiter van het album. Godspeed laat zich nooit compileren maar voor deze fascinerende collectie lieten ze zich graag inviteren.

Behind The Counter with Max Richter is de absoluut briljante start van een nieuwe serie. Super benieuwd naar wie de handschoen oppakt om met een al net zo intrigerende muzikale collectie net zoveel indruk te maken. Muzikale grenzeloosheid, we kunnen er nooit genoeg van krijgen. Behind The Counter with Max Richter is daar het meer dan het ideale voorbeeld van.

Tracklisting Behind The Counter with Max Richter (vinyl):

Side A:

1. The Unanswered Question

Composed By Charles Ives

Performed By New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor & Leonard Bernstein

2. Bach BWV 659 Arr. Busoni Nun Komm Den Heiden Heiland. Composed By JS Bach Arr. Busoni

Performed By Alfred Brendel, Piano

3. Partita III. Courante

Composed By Caroline Shaw

Performed By Roomful Of Teeth

4. 3 Pieces For Cello And Piano_No. 1. Modere

Composed By Nadia Boulanger

Performed By Nicolas Alstaedt, Cello And Jose Gallardo, Piano

Side B

1. Ether

Performed By Mogwai

2. Arcadiana, Op.12 (1994)_VI. O Albion

Composed By Thomas Adès

3. Hoquetus David

Composed By Guillaume De Machaut

Musical Director: David Munrow

4. Zoetrope

Performed By Boards Of Canada

5. Starry Sky Cycle (1980-87) Ursa Minor [Peace]

Composed By Urmas Sisask

Performed By Lauri Väinmaa, Piano

Side C

1. Qui Habitat (Psalm 90)

Composed By Josquin Des Prez

Performed By Huelgas Ensemble And Paul Van Nevel

2. Of Late

Composed By Howard Skempton

Performed By John Tilbury, Piano

3. Bobbing Beams Of Light

Performed By Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

4. Dixit Dominus, HWV 232_ IX. Die Torrente In Via Bibet

Composed By Handel

Performed By English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot

Gardiner & Monteverdi Choir

5. Mercy

Composed By Max Richter

Performed By Hilary Hahn, Violin And Cory Smythe, Piano

Side D

1. Rejoice O Virgin

Composed By Rachmaninoff

Performed By Tenebrae

2. Last Things Last

Performed By Rachel’s

3. Canticles Of The Sky_Sky With Four Suns

Composed By John Luther Adams

Performed By The Northwestern University Cello Ensemble.

4. Wasserklavier

Composed By Luciano Berio

Performed By David Arden, Piano

5. Satyagraha: Evening Song

Composed By Philip Glass

Performed By New York City Opera Chorus And New York City Opera Orchestra

6. Deep Six Textbook

Performed By Let’s Eat Grandma

Side E

1. FANTASIA 7

Composed By Henry Purcell

Performed By Phantasm

2. Preludes, Opus 11_XXI Andante – In B Flat Major

Composed By Scriabin

Performed By Marta Deyanova, Piano

3. What Part Of Me

Performed By Low

4. Tenebrae_II

Composed By Osvaldo Golijov

Performed By Kronos Quartet

5. DISKPREPT1

Performed By Aphex Twin

6. Immortal Bach

Composed By Knut Nystedt

Performed By Schola Cantorum

Conductor: Kåre Hanken

Side F

1. Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls

Performed By Godspeed You! Black Emperor

Mix CDs And Mix Downloads Tracklisting:

CD1:

1. The Unanswered Question

Composed By Charles Ives

Performed By New York Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor Leonard Bernstein

2. Bach BWV 659 Arr. Busoni Nun Komm Den Heiden Heiland

Composed By JS Bach Arr. Busoni

Performed By Alfred Brendel, Piano

3. Partita III. Courante

Composed By Caroline Shaw

Performed By Roomful Of Teeth

4. 3 Pieces For Cello And Piano_No. 1. Modere

Composed By Nadia Boulanger

Performed By Nicolas Alstaedt, Cello And Jose Gallardo, Piano

5. Ether

Performed By Mogwai

6. Arcadiana, Op.12 (1994)_VI. O Albion

Composed By Thomas Adès

7. Hoquetus David

Composed By Guillaume De Machaut

Musical Director: David Munrow

8. Zoetrope

Performed By Boards Of Canada

9. Starry Sky Cycle (1980-87)_Ursa Minor [Peace]

Composed By Urmas Sisask

Performed By Lauri Väinmaa, Piano

10. Qui Habitat (Psalm 90)

Composed By Josquin Des Prez

Performed By Huelgas Ensemble And Paul Van Nevel

11. Of Late

Composed By Howard Skempton

Performed By John Tilbury, Piano

12. Bobbing Beams Of Light

Performed By Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith

13. Dixit Dominus, HWV 232_ IX. Die Torrente In Via Bibet

Composed By Handel

Performed By English Baroque Soloists, John Eliot

Gardiner & Monteverdi Choir

14. Mercy

Composed By Max Richter

Performed By Hilary Hahn, Violin And Cory Smythe, Piano

15. Rejoice O Virgin

Composed By Rachmaninoff

Performed By Tenebrae

16. Last Things Last

Performed By Rachel’s

17. Canticles Of The Sky_Sky With Four Suns

Composed By John Luther Adams

Performed By The Northwestern University Cello Ensemble.

18. Wasserklavier

Composed By Luciano Berio

Performed By David Arden, Piano

CD2:

1. Rockets Fall On Rocket Falls

Performed By Godspeed You! Black Emperor

2. Immortal Bach

Composed By Knut Nystedt

Performed By Schola Cantorum

Conductor: Kåre Hanken

3. Satyagraha: Evening Song

Composed By Philip Glass

Performed By New York City Opera Chorus And New York City Opera Orchestra

4. Deep Six Textbook

Performed By Let’s Eat Grandma

5. FANTASIA 7

Composed By Henry Purcell

Performed By Phantasm

6. Preludes, Opus 11_XXI Andante – In B Flat Major

Composed By Scriabin

Performed By Marta Deyanova, Piano

7. What Part Of Me

Performed By Low

8. Tenebrae_II

Composed By Osvaldo Golijov

Performed By Kronos Quartet

9. DISKPREPT1

Performed By Aphex Twin

10. Remembrance

Composed By Caleb Burhans

Performed By Yuki Numata Resnick, Violin

11. Pièce D’Orgue In G Major, BWV 572 à 6

Composed By JS Bach Arr. Fretwork

Performed By Fretwork

12. Dream 3

Composed By Max Richter

Performed By Clarice Jensen, Cello, Ben Russell, Violin & Max

Richter, Piano

13. String Quartet No.14 In D Minor, D.810_Death And The

Maiden (extract)

Composed By Schubert

Performed By Hagen Quartett

14. Les Baricades Mistérieuses

Composed By Francois Couperin

Performed By Max Richter, Harpsichord

15. Tehillim Part II: Psalms 34:13-15

Composed By Steve Reich

Performed By Steve Reich Ensemble