There is hardly anyone younger who could be deemed as talented, profound and open to other musical styles as Bradford Alexander Mehldau – the most popular and renowned jazz pianist of the present day. Throughout his career, Mehldau has released original pieces, some of which have shaped the course of jazz music. In this article, we’ll be looking at Mehldau’s composition list.
After Bach
After Bach shows his approach to combining classical and jazz traditions, this piece is inspired by Johann Sebastian Bach. It incorporates counterpoint and harmonic exploration while maintaining the spontaneity of jazz improvisation.
Before Bach: Benediction
Before Bach: Benediction shows Mehldau’s ability to combine classically influenced piano with jazz standards. This work, which is reflective and played for piano, conveys Bach’s calmness while being Mehldau’s. The work could be said to be meditative; there are some harmonic changes here and there, but, for the most part, the work is slow and serene.
Between Bach
After analyzing the ideas of the individual works demonstrated by Bach, Between Bach serves as a bridge from the past to the present. This piano composition is part of the CD’s piano collection and is influenced by Bach and Mehldau’s improvisational part, which is about harmonic depth and rhythmical restriction.
Brad’s Interlude
Brad’s Interlude is a short but very powerful piece of music for the organ. Within 70 seconds, Mehldau lays down a nice piece, demonstrating that he is capable of painting a picture and telling a story in the shortest of time. The addition of the organ gives the piece a certain color, and it just shows that Mehldau can find the significance in the obvious.
Caprice For Piano (after Fauré)
In Caprice for Piano, Mehldau takes on the score of another French composer, Gabriel Fauré, and adds jazz twists to the composition’s formal basis. This is light and cheerful, with complicated rhythms and beautiful tunes that sound like Fauré yet are clearly Mehldau.
I Shall Weep at Night
This composition by Mehldau demonstrates his ability to combine voice and piano. The song features a serious and dramatic piano first line/voice melody backdrop that corresponds to the lyrics of the vocal melody.
Intermezzo
Intermezzo is a brief piano composition that highlights Mehldau’s sharing of details while playing. This piece focuses on the lyrical components of the composition rather than the composer’s physical and dramatic works.
L.A. Pastorale
In L.A. Pastorale, Mehldau composes a track that can be described as a sonic picture of the vastness of the city of Angels. The beautiful and impressive work contains numerous wide, smooth, longer intervals that appear free.
Love Songs
An extremely passionate piece, Love Songs is composed for mezzo-soprano and piano. The lyrics themselves give love and desire. Also, the combination of voice and piano complement each other.
Nocturne (after Fauré)
Nostalgically, this composition is done similarly to Fauré’s theme, and as a result, Mehldau gives his nocturne an unreal quality. The piano uses lyrical characters to convey the tranquillity of the night and modulations to give a sense of continuity.
Variations on a Melancholy Theme
Variations on a Melancholy Theme is one of Mehldau’s largest scale compositions for a solo piano with a Chamber Orchestra. Striking with excitement and topical features, the piece is a nice, rich addition to the bitter-sad theme in sections that increase the expressive potential of the work.
Variations on Bach’s Goldberg Theme
This is an excellent example of Mehldau’s ability to transform classical material into something entirely his own. Drawing on Bach’s classic Goldberg variants, Mehldau spins the subject through a succession of jazz-inspired variants, each introducing new harmonic and rhythmic components to the original. The work honors Bach’s genius while also highlighting Mehldau’s innovative voice in jazz.
Vision (after Fauré)
Vision, another composition inspired by Fauré’s music, is a meditative work that portrays rich harmonies and pearly piano sounds. The work appears to have been done in another world, with each beat creating a tune in one’s head.
Final Thoughts
Mehldau is always challenging and refining his craft while creating music that is technically advanced and emotionally meaningful. Whether inspired by Bach, Fauré, or his personal experiences, Mehldau’s works continue to captivate audiences, showcasing his unmatched ability to communicate through the piano and beyond.