Orphée

The dynamic, award-winning composer Jóhann Jóhansson takes up the tragic Greek tale of Orpheus in his first album for Deutsche Grammophon. *Orphée* features a kaleidoscopic array of instrumentations, from string quartet to electronics and choir, drawing from the Icelandic composer’s minimal, serene style to produce a focused, postmodern foray into atmosphere and myth.

Based loosely on Ovid’s interpretation of the Orpheus myth, the Icelandic composer’s latest work reveals the grandeur of his music outside of scoring films.

In the six years between And in the Endless Pause There Came the Sound of Bees and Orphée, Jóhann Jóhannsson became a celebrated film composer, earning back-to-back Oscar nominations for his life-affirming score for The Theory of Everything and his ominous, rough-edged music for Sicario.

‘Orphée’ is stylistically varied but united by an overarching power. Review by Kieron Tyler