Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra & Jeff Beal – Jeff Beal: House of Cards Symphony (2018) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

This release grew out of the fascination of Robert von Bahr, founder and managing director of BIS Records, for the television series House of Cards. It wasn’t only – or even primarily – the script or the acting that grabbed him, however, but just as much the music. Said and done – Jeff Beal, the composer of the House of Cards soundtrack, was contacted and it was soon decided that he should compose a Flute Concerto for the virtuosic Sharon Bezaly. To complement the concerto a selection of music from the series was agreed upon, but with five seasons worth of installments to choose from, this quickly grew into a large-scale House of Cards Symphony which at 83 minutes takes up an album all on its own. So now the decision was made to record and present a lavish release, with three further works: Six Sixteen for guitar and orchestra (performed by Grammy winner Jason Vieaux), Canticle for strings and a brand new House of Cards Fantasy for flute and orchestra. The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra has received international acclaim for its recordings of the hyper-intense music of modernist Allan Pettersson, but here, under the direction of the composer himself, it has taken to the new idiom and welcomes the additional instruments necessary to bring out that House of Cards feeling: electric guitar and bass guitar, drum kit, piano and flugelhorn.

Tracklist:
CD 1
1. House of Cards Symphony : I. Forward March 04:50
2. House of Cards Symphony : II. Betrayal 13:29
3. House of Cards Symphony : III. New Deal 05:42
4. House of Cards Symphony : IV. Claire Underwood 05:37
5. House of Cards Symphony : V. Russia 07:34
6. House of Cards Symphony : VI. Portrait of a Marriage 08:03
7. House of Cards Symphony : VII. Power 08:44
8. House of Cards Symphony : VIII. Dignity 10:26
9. House of Cards Symphony : IX. Puppet Master 08:05
10. House of Cards Symphony : X. Making History 11:11
CD 2
1. House of Cards Fantasy 03:29
2. Six Sixteen (Version for Guitar & Chamber Orchestra) : I. Freely – quarter note = 90 05:43
3. Six Sixteen (Version for Guitar & Chamber Orchestra) : II. Gently 03:50
4. Six Sixteen (Version for Guitar & Chamber Orchestra) : III. quarter note = 167 05:01
5. Canticle : Canticle 06:35
6. Flute Concerto : I. — 08:16
7. Flute Concerto : II. — 07:48
8. Flute Concerto : III. — 07:52