Psalms Symphony Articles
Melodic Mag
“Psalms Symphony” is a modern-day symphonic marvel, comprising four meticulously crafted movements that traverse the realms of classical, jazz, and experimental music. Each movement weaves a rich tapestry of sound, culminating in a cohesive and emotive journey that transcends musical boundaries. With influences ranging from cinematic scores to traditional hymns, Jonatan’s album is a testament to his eclectic musical palette and boundless creativity.
Music Crowns
Prepare to discover a world that is full of bright notes and marvellous tones on ‘Psalms Symphony’. Peter Jonatan & Metropole Orkest cover a wide musical spectrum on this new release, so get ready to dive in and immerse yourself in ‘Psalms Symphony’ in all its glory.
Indie Band Guru
The structure of the four movements offers a cohesive yet diverse soundscape. “Movement 1” sets the stage with epic orchestral flourishes and a driving jazz rhythm, while “Movement 2” provides a moment of introspective beauty with its gentle strings and lyrical piano solo. “Movement 3” is a playful and energetic interlude, showcasing Jonatan’s playful spirit and the orchestra’s versatility. Finally, “Movement 4” brings the symphony to a soaring conclusion, leaving a lasting impression of hope and triumph.
V13
A majestic overture, “movement 1” opens on layers of elegant strings highlighted by rapturous brass accents. Drenched in expansive, interweaving orchestral ambiance, the tune soars and then gradually descends to a glittering jazz piano accompanied by soft percussion and a plucking bassline. The harmonics elevate to glowing, sweeping textures, shimmering with strident colors that imbue the melody with tension.
“God The Magnificent King” includes segues of rich piano and fervent strings, with the trio giving a dancing intro to the Tchaikovsky-inspired “God, The Merciful”. The dreamy brass and swinging trio volley back and forth on “God the Protector” with the choir supported by exciting drums and brass on the “God The Savior and Holy Judge”, reminiscent of Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts. Do I dare say the music is “inspired”?
A true modern symphony in four movements, this album is a journey with layers of classical, jazz and experimental music. Each movement is its own tapestry but the full effect is cohesive and emotive enough to call Psalms Symphony a concept album. “It’s the culmination of my musical styles and inspirations, merging classical and jazz with cinematic influence from film and game scoring, gospels and traditional hymns,” Jonatan says.
“Psalms Symphony” represents a culmination of Jonatan’s musical styles and inspirations, seamlessly blending classical and jazz elements with cinematic influences from film and game scoring, as well as gospels and traditional hymns. Comprising four movements, each intricately woven with layers of musical texture, the symphony takes listeners on a captivating journey of emotion and expression.
Tell us about your most recent work, Psalms Symphony.
The album consists of only 1 piece: a symphony that is divided into four movements. It is based on the book of Psalms, where I carefully selected four chapters with musical potential that can be shaped to reflect traditional symphony form. Each movement has a standalone title to depict God’s character or nature as described by the Psalmist:
Movement 1: God, the Magnificent King (based on Psalm 29)
Movement 2: God, the Merciful (based on Psalm 136)
Movement 3: God, the Protector (based on Psalm 121)
Movement 4: God, the Savior and Holy Judge (based on Psalm 96)
What makes Psalms Symphony stand out amongst our era's classical and jazz landscape is the sheer extent to which Jonatan represents his music: full symphonic composing, conducting, demonstrating piano virtuosity. He has set a new standard in contemporary composition for mastering multiple styles and genre, delicately weaving them together in a single work.
Although it’s the shortest inclusion, movement four may be the one that differs most from the rest. For instance, it includes a choir singing at the beginning. But what starts as a fairly traditional church-sounding choir part, quickly goes into a fast section that swings like a jazz band. Then it slows down about two minutes in with a female lead vocalist who is then joined by the choir. These words, which include phrases like, “Sing a new song,” support the assumption that these are Biblically inspired pieces. Later in the movement, an operatic male vocalist spars with the piece’s female lead singer. The orchestrated passages in this piece have a distinctly cinematic quality.
Daily Music Roll
Some music composers are capable of teleporting listeners into a different dimension and Peter Jonatan is here to prove that again along with the well-revered Metropole Orkest. They have come up with a brand new collaborative project known as ‘Psalms Symphony‘ that consists of a total of four movements. Each of the movements is masterfully crafted to reflect a different journey and a different emotion.
Dancing About Architecture
And what Peter Jonatan & Metropole Orkest do in this symphony is to underline this point and close that gap, if there is one, even further. While recognisably of the classical world, these four movements ebb and flow between folky forays and slick jazz lounge sophistication, sumptuous, filmic grandeur and big band bravado, delicacy and deftness. And, for the fourth movement, he even manages to move effortlessly from snappy jazz piano solos to ornate, operatic, and choral soundscapes.
Jazz Quad
The jazz side of the symphony is expressed very noticeably thanks to the mini-line-up within the big line-up: a trio of pianist Jasper Soffers, bassist Aram Kersbergen and drummer Martin Wink. They brought both swing and improvisation to the performance of the symphony, for which Jonathan provided part of the sound space in the overall orchestration. And, of course, the final part of God, the Savior and Holy Judge left a special impression, where the Metropole Orkest was joined by another large composition: Groot Omroepkoor.
Occhi Magazine
Psalms Symphony parallels the classical symphonic form, with a big opening theme and variations (“God, the Magnificent King,” Psalm 29), an adagio (“God, the Merciful,” Psalm 136), a scherzo (“God, the Protector,” Psalm 121) and an even bigger finish (“God, the Savior, and Holy Judge,” Psalm 96, with full choir and soloists). The jazz element is fervent, with pianist Jasper Soffers, bassist Aram Kersbergen, and drummer Martijn Vink’s performances being central to the delivery of the project.
Rezonatz
It must be quite a feeling as a composer, getting handed the keys to one of Europe’s finest large ensembles, the Metropole Orkest, founded in 1945, with project credits ranging from Dizzy Gillespie to Bono to Louis Cole. For Jakarta-born, Boston-based Peter Jonatan, who’s long been drawn to hybrid forms of jazz and classical music, the Metropole is the gold standard (and Vince Mendoza, its former director, a major artistic influence).
Classical candor
This new composition takes as its subject matter four chapters from the Bible’s Book of Psalms, which Jonatan chose for their expressive and musical potential. Broadly speaking, the work’s four movements follow standard symphonic form: I. “God, the Magnificent King” (Psalm 29) - a big opening theme and variations; II. “God, the Merciful” (Psalm 136) - an adagio; III. “God, the Protector” (Psalm 121) - a scherzo; IV. “God, the Savior and Holy Judge” (Psalm 96) – finale, with full choir and soloists.
