The Vienna Sessions
Challenge, 2022
9/10
The German native and current Los Angeles resident Markus Burger puts his skills as a concert pianist and composer to work here, where his influences from J.S. Bach, Claude Debussy and George Winston, among others, are on full display across this solo outing.
The 16 track listen opens with the stunning key acrobatics of “Daybreak”, where so much beauty is spread out across the melodic template, and “Morning Mist” continues the elegance with delicate songwriting that’s quite stirring.
Elsewhere, “Harmonic Stroll” offers a quicker pace of meticulous, flowing keys, while “Doom And Gloom” is a brief but impactful display of emotive, poetic playing. “An Afternoon In Vienna”, one of the album’s best, then tells a lovely story without words, as Burger’s pensive playing emits a very pretty landscape.
Inching towards the end, “Merry Gathering Before Walking Home” glides swiftly with much agility, and “Rejoicing” exits the listen with a cozy spirit that’s quite relaxing, even meditative.
An album birthed after spending much time exploring the people and culture of Vienna, Burger’s work is as rich as the city, and his execution is nothing short of stunning.
Travels well with: Yaron Gershovsky- Transitions; David Janeway- Distant Voices