Peter Jonatan and Metropole Orkest – ‘Psalms Symphony’ [Album Review]

Composer and pianist Peter Jonatan recently teamed up with the Metropole Orkest, one of Europe’s premier ensembles, on his debut album, Psalms Symphony, a wonderful work that illuminates four of the Psalms.

Presented in four movements blending classical and jazz with elements of gospel, video game scores, and film, Psalms Symphony includes Psalm 29, Psalm 136, Psalm 121, and Psalm 96. Within the ensemble, Jasper Soffer (piano), Aram Kersbergen (bass), and Martijn Vink (drums) form an improvisational jazz trio that not only shifts and bends but maintains the orchestral measures.

Originally from Jakarta, Indonesia, Jonatan began playing piano when he was four. Later, he obtained his Doctor of Musical Arts from the New England Conservatory. He is now a professor at the conservatory while simultaneously serving as an Associate Professor at Boston’s Berklee College of Music.

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.

An adagio, “movement 2” features a bewitching jazz piano that ebbs and rises, followed by gentle, luminous strings topped by lustrous flutes. There’s a quixotic flow to the melody, rippling with tender coloration and inviting, velvety tones.

Light and playful, “movement 3” drifts, rolls, and flutters on a sparkling piano backed by extroverted strings. A finessed drum solo intertwined with an orchestral reply shapes a delightful call and response.

Peter Jonatan and Metropole Orkest, photo by Bernise Salim

Opening with a regal choir, “movement 4” segues into grand strings, followed by descending to a riffling jazz piano that leads to a female vocalist whose voice streams into an operatic choir. Once again, the jazz trio takes over, injecting the tune with improv jazz flavors. The choir re-enters, conveying the song to a grand finish.

Jonatan explains the grand conclusion, “In the progression of the work, it made sense to put it there, to give a weight to the final movement, to create some sort of different level from everything that comes before.”

Crossing multiple musical margins, Psalms Symphony stands as a complex, exquisite testimony to the genius of Peter Jonatan.

Psalms Symphony Track Listing:

1. Psalms Symphony, movement 1
2. Psalms Symphony, movement 2
3. Psalms Symphony, movement 3
4. Psalms Symphony, movement 4

Run Time: 41:23
Release Date: January 19, 2024
Record Label: Independent