With Melody, Nikolaj Hess allows subtle impressions from jazz meld into an otherwise fully orchestrated work for solo violin and chamber ensemble, which, unusually, features a discreet rhythm section of drums and double bass. The result is a fascinating work with improvised elements and timeless melodies which seem to recall the beauty of nature.

Melody is recorded by violinist Cæcilie Balling, the Danish Chamber Orchestra, dummer Mikkel Hess and bassist Anders ‘AC’ Christensen conducted by Carsten Seyer-Hansen. The recording will be released on a digital album on 26 January. Pre-save the album via this link. and listen to the single Waves while you read.

A liberating collaboration

The partnership between jazz pianist and composer Nikolaj Hess and violinist Cæcilie Balling dates back to 2015, so when Balling was planning her soloist debut concert at he Royal Academy of Music in 2019, she asked Hess to composer a concert piece for her. Subsequently, the concerto underwent revisions, ultimately reaching its definitive rendition, as presented in this release.

In Melody, Hess draws on both the virtuosity of the classical musicians as well a his own background in jazz and film music. By including improvised elements (such as a fully improvised solo cadenza), he challenges the conventional norms that typically characterize the relationship between composer and musician, and invites the musicians to take on a co-creative role.

The result is a fruitful meeting across genres. Cæcilie Balling explains: ‘With Melody, it's the first time I've encountered a work in a Danish context that is so thoroughly composed and yet feels so free in the improvised passages. It has a sense of free fall, which aligns well with my ambition to actively contribute to the liberation of ‘the classical musician’.’

Nordic melancholy and lyrical beauty

In Melody we hear both luminous narrative delight and a distinctive melancholy, when Nikolaj Hess enters orchestral music with a distinct melodic and rhythmic sensitivity. Hess himself says about the work: ‘I wanted to create something Nordic with a global perspective. Both folklore and urban elements should be part of the inspiration.’

We hear the presence of natur in the movement Birds among others, which draws inspiration from a series of transcriptions of bird songs and in Hess' own words forging his connection to the Nordic essence and the lyrical beauty of nature.

In the movement Waves we hear an underlying mood of Nordic melancholy with a captivating Phrygian sense in the harmony, which may evoke associations with Grieg and Sibelius. Waves is released as a single and you can listen via this link.