House of Cards Symphony

EMMY AWARD WINNER JEFF BEAL AND BIS RECORDS PRESENT THE RELEASE OF THE HOUSE OF CARDS SYMPHONY

JEFF BEAL House of Cards Symphony, House of Cards Fantasy for flute and orchestra, Six Sixteen for guitar and chamber orchestra, Canticle for string orchestra, Concerto for flute and orchestra – Sharon Bezaly, flute, Jason Vieaux, guitar, Jeff Beal, conductor, Norrköping Symphony Orchestra – BIS 2299 SACD – 2 SACDs – Total time 132:23

[Hollywood, CA – August 10, 2018] BIS Records is proud to announce the release of House of Cards Symphony and other works by composer Jeff Beal on August 24, 2018 in both digital and SACD formats. The composer also conducted all of the performances by Sweden’s Norrköping Symphony Orchestra and renowned soloists Sharon Bezaly, flute and Jason Vieaux, guitar.

Composer Jeff Beal always wanted to address the larger scope and possibilities of classical composition in connection with film. From the start of his work creating the music for this internationally acclaimed Netflix series (soon to present its sixth and final season), there were not just characters, sets and action: the composer also saw themes, movements and ideas that rival the inspiration of great symphonies. The House of Cards Symphony is a culmination of this journey to express a timeless story through the power and majesty of the orchestra.

Beal explained the creation of the symphony. “This is concert music first and foremost for me - a bit of a coming-out party as a classical composer, but it’s part of what I would call a new eclectic approach to the concert hall. By combining these two disparate threads of my work (soundtrack writing and the symphonic world), I think the recording shows my voice in a new way.'

Each of the 10 movements of the House of Cards Symphony is built around a thematic idea or character from the series. Jeff Beal knew that beneath House of Cards’ classic political intrigue and tragedy set in the modern context there was the perfect platform for a musical approach that reaches beyond the screen and into the hearts of symphony audiences everywhere. House of Cards in Concert was created as a way to bring this small-screen experience into the concert hall, and the House of Cards Symphony was born. The orchestration and material have been expanded and developed to utilize the power of the full symphonic ensemble, while the core instruments of the House of Cards soundtrack, electric and bass guitars, drum kit, piano and flugelhorn, remain.

The decision was made to record a two disc-set for the Swedish BIS label, with four other Beal works: Six Sixteen for guitar and orchestra (performed by Grammy Award-winner Jason Vieaux), Concerto for flute and orchestra (featuring Sharon Bezaly, who was soloist for the works’ May 2017 Premiere by the Minnesota Orchestra), Canticle for strings and a new House of Cards Fantasy for flute and orchestra.

The Norrköping Symphony Orchestra has received international acclaim for its recordings of the music of the 20th century modernist composer Allan Pettersson, but here, under the direction of the composer himself, it has taken to the new idiom and welcomed the additional instruments necessary to bring out that House of Cards feeling.

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 wasnt 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.