Eivind Buene has long been recognized as a daring voice in contemporary composition, but with his latest album Personal Best, he vaults into a new realm of musical storytelling. Now available via LAWO Classics, the album enlists the remarkable talents of Trio Accanto and SWR Experimentalstudio for a project that fuses tradition and innovation.
Central to Personal Best is a six-part “trio portrait” conceived as a personal sound collage. By layering the recorded conversations and reminiscences of Trio Accanto’s Marcus Weiss, Nicolas Hodges, and Christian Dierstein over lush, live music and electronics, Buene captures raw moments of artistic reflection.
This approach, which the composer describes as “telescopic listening,” oscillates between the ensemble’s past and present, crafting a sonic mosaic that is at once intimate and sweeping. Themes of time, memory, and identity flow through the work, challenging listeners to reconsider the relationship between performer and performance.
With the addition of Serious Songs, Buene’s reinterpretation of Brahms’ Four Serious Songs, the album becomes a powerful meditation on legacy and change. Integrating historical awareness with present-day sensibilities, Buene continues to forge a deeply personal and forward-looking path in contemporary classical music.