The Knights, the bold Brooklyn-based orchestral collective, embody the spirit of exploration with The Kreutzer Project, a program that posits Tolstoy’s response to Beethoven’s “Kreutzer” Sonata:

What exactly is it? I don’t understand. What is music?
What does it do?
And why does it do what it does?

Beethoven and Tolstoy in turn inspired Czech composer Leoš Janáček, whose first string quartet is also called “Kreutzer Sonata”. The Knights’ response to these iconoclastic touchstones is to reimagine the Beethoven as “Kreutzer Concerto”, arranged by The Knights’ co-founder Colin Jacobsen who is also the orchestrated version’s violin soloist; and the Janáček as orchestrated by The Knights’ co-founder and conductor Eric Jacobsen.

They keep the canon going with Colin’s newly composed “Kreutzings”, which makes buried allusions to both Beethoven and Janáček; and a commission from Anna Clyne, whose piece “Shorthand” takes its title from a line in Tolstoy’s novella: “music is the shorthand of emotion”.

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
‘Kreutzer Concerto’
Violin Sonata No.9 in A Op.47 (arr. Colin Jacobsen)
1. I. Adagio sostenuto – Presto (14:27)
2. II. Andante con variazioni (15:21)
3. III. Finale: Presto (9:07)
Colin Jacobsen, solo violin

COLIN JACOBSEN (b. 1978)
4. Kreutzings (6:48)

ANNA CLYNE (b. 1980)
5. Shorthand* (11:06)
Karen Ouzounian, solo cello
Colin Jacobsen, Emily Daggett Smith, violins
Mario Gotoh, viola · Eric Jacobsen, cello · Logan Coale, double bass

LEOŠ JANÁCEK (1854–1928)
‘Kreutzer Sonata’
String Quartet No.1 JW 7/8 ‘Z podnštnu Tolstého Kreutzerovy sonáty’
(arr. Eric Jacobsen, orch. Michael P. Atkinson)
6. I. Adagio – Con moto (4.22)
7. II. Con moto (4.24)
8. III. Con moto – Vivo – Andante (4.18)
9. IV. Con moto – Adagio – Più mosso (5.15)

This quite stunningly opulent, and wholly heartfelt new album opens on the veritably sweeping, almost flirtatiously purposeful in its construction, Ludwig Van Beethoven ‘Kreutzer Concerto’ Violin Sonata No.9 in A Op.47 and the fourteen minute opus Adagio sostenuto – Presto and then comes the delicate, ornate at times, fluttering, shimmering even fifteen minute Andante con variazioni, the culmination of the work being the sterner, more triumphantly pronounced, ten minute Finale: Presto.

Colin Jacobsen’s almost cinematic, seismic Kreutzings is a pure, unadulterated joy to behold, and is followed seamlessly by the more assertively sculptured work of Anna Clyne’s eleven minute Shorthand.

Closing this absolutely magical recording is a quartet from Leoš Janáček entitled ‘Kreutzer Sonata’ String Quartet No.1 JW 7/8 ‘Z podnštnu Tolstého Kreutzerovy sonáty,’ which opens on the uproarious Adagio – Con moto, then brings us the quieter, at times, sternly joyous at others, mid-tempo palette of Con moto, rounding out on the playfully fervent Con moto – Vivo – Andante and then the scattering, free falling melodies found within the rather jubilant Con moto – Adagio – Più mosso.

The Knights - Janáček (orch. M. Atkinson) - "Kreutzer Sonata" Mvt. I [Official Video]

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