Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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45 of 45 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Words do not describe Vienna., June 15, 2001
The inside of liner notes read: "I have courted the fire for a very long time, and many sparks have flown in the past, but the music on this recording speaks, finally, the language of the flame itself." Keith Jarret could not have put it any better. This release is far and beyond more complete, more epic than almost anything I have ever heard - certainly a highlight from Jarrett's discography, anyway. Paris, generally concieved as the best Jarret release by Amazon reviewers, seems like passionate but unorganized playing when compared to Vienna. Vienna has a completeness like no other Jarrett recording, from beginning to end it is as if we are a lone tree wethering a terrible storm only to emerge once again, still alive, or perhaps even resurected, back into the glory of sunlight; experiencing death and rebirth; experiencing - witnessing - the true act of musical CREATION. Nothing improvised compares to this - it is absolutely miraculous that such a complete and seemingly organized transportation could have emerged from pure improvisation. This is Jarrett's favorite Solo recording, and it is my favorite, along with Bremen-Lausanne, as well. Part 2 remains a Coda of Part I, albeit a powerful one, perhaps the most dark (yet tonal) and entrenched (emotionally) movement Jarrett has ever spawned from his ivories; Undescribable. There is a wholeness to Vienna, an emotional journey - that begins with 00:00 of Part I and finishes with 26:03 of Part II - that is completely unique to this recording. From the Cecil Taylor-inspired percussive frenzy of the storm to Jarrett's final last exhasperation, "Oh!", in the face of what can only be described as musical light breaking through clouds of doom at last, Vienna is a masterpiece of modern art and sure to please; but only if you are willing to listen. If you liked La Scala (the runner-up to this one), Paris Concert or Dark Intervals, this album is sure to knock you off of your feet.
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18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Jarrett's finest hour, November 16, 2005
The art of improvisation has been embedded in music for as long as music itself has existed. Contrary to popular belief, improvisation is not reserved for only jazz musicians. The undisputed masters of classical Western music - J.S. Bach, Mozart, Liszt - were incredible improvisors, though most probably consider them strict, verbatim composers. Great composition, however, flows from the same river as great improvisation, and sometimes, the two meld into one, uniting the two most significant musical disciplines into a seamless artistic statement. Keith Jarrett has done an immense amount of solo piano improvisation and has come away with some wonderful works, but never has he composed spontanteously, with such beauty, on the piano as he did on that glorious night in Vienna.
If the listener is to gain anything from listening to Vienna, they must treat it with respect. The program demands it - one 42-minute and one 20-minute piece. Be rest assured, however, that the more respect you give this recording, the more it will give back to you. Don't listen to this while you walk the city streets or ride the subway, at least on your first several listens. Listen to this in a quiet room, with no distractions, just as you would during a concert of Jarrett's music.
Part I is the centerpiece of this recording, and is effectively divided into several movements. The first movement, at roughly 13 minutes, establishes a deceptively simple, yet beautiful, theme and plays with it in various permutations, often swelling and ratcheting the intensity of the notes to build tension and take the listener a journey instead of taking them through a mundane sonata form. Jarrett's music has never been this beautiful, and there are few other recordings where he reaches this level, with Radiance being a possible exception. For those who have heard Jarrett's earlier recordings, especially ones like The Koln Concert from the '70s, the quantum leap in facility and skill will be striking, as Jarrett comes closer and closer to creating music without physical limitations of hands, fingers, or mechanisms.
The second movement starts extremely quietly and builds to a raucous climax that is so aggressive that it almost sounds atonal, yet on close examination falls squarely within a key center. Jarrett again begins with a basic theme and alters it to his liking until concepts like theme and variation are transcended and only music comes forth. After blowing the second movement out of the water, Jarrett comes down slightly for his third and final movement, his coda of Part I. It restates the theme from the first movement differently, yet retains the same cohesive narrative thread that he established in the first several minutes of Part I. Jarrett ends with beautiful falling action and brings the listener down softly to an ultimate, satisfying resolution in a squarely consonant, major tonality.
Part II is in the spirit of Part I's second movement, except it has less skillful rise and fall in the way of musical narration. Jarrett is more clearly riffing on a basic groove or riff in Part II, and it's still viscerally pleasing, yet without the sophistication and contour of Part I. After Part I, however, it's only natural that he should be a little tired, so to speak, and resort to a more watered-down form of improvisation.
Part I is one of the finest solo improvisations you will ever hear from Jarrett, let alone anyone. The way he skillfully blended his various themes into a tightly woven narrative framework that constitutes a legitimate composition has been reached few other times by Jarrett (notably on La Scala, although that was several years after Vienna). In the end, though, the music speaks for itself, and this review is simply to convince you to go out and experience it for yourself. I suggest you do so, and treat the music with respect. Few other works of art deserve it as much as the Vienna Concert does.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sunday Morning CD, November 14, 2005
I have listened to just about everything that Jarrett has released over the last 35 years, even his work with Miles, and this ranks as my favorite. For a long time I thought that nothing could compare to his Bremen & Laussane, Sun Bear Concerts or Koln Concerts in terms of his live improvisational work...... until I heard this CD. As other reviewers have indicated, it is really impossible to describe this recording, so I won't really try to do that. But to give the potential listener some sense of what they're in for, the first piece is roughly 41 minutes and change and the second piece comes in at about 25 minutes. The first piece begins with a very deliberate approach. The chord changes are almost hymnal in genre, the melody melancholy, yet soothing. As the piece progresses, it builds momentum and you can hear Jarret's humming and cries of joy, feet stomping, hands slapping at and pounding keys and wood. The piece then takes a darker turn, as if replicating a life's journey through triumph and tragedy. The second piece picks up where piece one left off, yet seems to come to terms with the earlier conflict along the journey and concludes with a kind of quiet resignation, as do most of us in life. The crowd responds with delirious applause. I'm not trying to sound like a dinosaur, but you really have to search for this kind of music in these times; the kind that moves you, that resonates with you viscerally. It's out there, but it's very rare, indeed. Even though this CD takes some participation by the listener because it is a huge work, when you give it the time, it is a wonderful listening experience for those who enjoy classical, hymnal, jazz, and any kind of improvisational music. The music is powerful, soothing, simple, complex; it runs the gamut of human emotion. Most highly recommended.
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~ Keith Jarrett
~ Keith Jarrett
~ Keith Jarrett
~ Keith Jarrett
~ Keith Jarrett
by Keith Jarrett 
