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Janoska Ensemble

The Big B's

Deutsche Grammophon
Release Date: August 5, 2022

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Gold Award - Janoska Style
1 J.S. Bach Concerto for 2 Violins in D minor, BWV 1043 - I Vivace  
2 II Largo, ma non tanto  
3 III Allegro  
4 L. van Beethoven Pathe´tique Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor, Op. 13, 2. Adagio cantabile  
5 J. Brahms Hungarian Dance No. 1 Allegro molto, G minor  
6 F. Janoska Souvenir pour Elise (Based on Beethoven's For Elise)  
7 R. Janoska Buenos Dias, Marco! For my youngest son  
8 B. Bartok Romanian Folk Dances in Janoska Style - I Jocul cu bata  
9 II Braul  
10 III Pe Loc  
11 IV Buciumeana  
12 V Poarga romanesca  
13 VI Maruntel  
14 F. Janoska Bellissima Naomi! Lullaby for my daughter  
15 D. Brubeck Blue Rondo a` la Turk  
16 O. Janoska Bagatelle pour Va-Le. For my two daughters Valentina and Leticia  
17 L. Bernstein Candide. Overture a` la Janoska  
18 F. Janoska 9 Symphonies in 9 Minutes - Paraphrase on Ludwig van Beethoven's 9 Symphonies  
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As broad-ranging and eclectic as its repertoire may be, the Janoska Ensemble always stands for a very special sound that offers audiences an intimate combination of sensuality and sophistication, airiness and precision. This miracle is based on the fact that the interpretations of the Bratislava-born brothers Ondrej, František and Roman Janoska, who have been making music together since childhood, also mysteriously evoke a kind of phylogenetic echo of the joys, sorrows and ecstasies of preceding generations. As a double bass player, Julius Darvas, who married into the dynasty, provides the very special zest that makes our trademark family sound even more appealing. Their sensuous ensemble sound is characterised by the way as a group they constantly oscillate between exploring their origins and curiosity about the unheard and unplayed.

When looking for a basic idea for their third album, the ensemble started from their own strength in improvising. The musicians asked themselves who the greatest improvisers in classical music were and came up with the names Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, whom they view as the main role models for the ensemble, yes, even their patron saints. Then they looked a little into the modern age, and immediately took Bernstein, Bartók and Brubeck on board. Then it was time for the test. With the Janoska Ensemble, playful gestures are also the result of profound reflection and concentrated improvisation by the four musicians. The sensuousness of this music is also a perfect fit for the curvy silhouette of the eponymous Latin letter B, which is originally from the Proto-Sinitic (or Proto-Chinese) alphabet and was used by Canaanite migrant workers around 1700 B.C. In its original form, the B resembled a house with an exit. The Phoenicians referred to the letter as bet, meaning “house.” This is an apt association for an ensemble whose musical foundations were laid some 150 years ago. As with the Proto-Sinitic B, the door remains open. This makes constant change possible. And so the boundaries between what is familiar and what is strange are blurred in a subtle way. Genres and styles sometimes dissolve in a manner that is light-hearted, then soulful.

  • Vienna's Janoska Ensemble bring their unique improvisation to the Parisian Theatre / MacauDaily Times
    Posted At: August 4, 2023
    It would take a long time to list all the biographical and artistic ingredients that make up this style and render it possible, day after day after day. Even if reduced to basic elements, the list would still require a lot of space. First, there’s the Janoska Ensemble’s comprehensive grasp of thousands of volumes of music, a constant source of new themes and motifs. They draw not only on the venerable cosmo...

  • Janoska Ensemble double bassist: Julius Darvas talks about the big B's with New Classical Tracks
    Posted At: September 1, 2022
    As broad-ranging and eclectic as its repertoire may be, the Janoska Ensemble always stands for a very special sound that offers audiences an intimate combination of sensuality and sophistication, airiness and precision. This miracle is based on the fact that the interpretations of the Bratislava-born brothers Ondrej, František and Roman Janoska, who have been making music together since childhood, also myst...

  • Janoska Ensemble - The Big Bs is the WFMT: Featured New Release
    Posted At: August 19, 2022
    As broad-ranging and eclectic as its repertoire may be, the Janoska Ensemble always stands for a very special sound that offers audiences an intimate combination of sensuality and sophistication, airiness and precision. This miracle is based on the fact that the interpretations of the Bratislava-born brothers Ondrej, František and Roman Janoska, who have been making music together since childhood, also myst...

  • Bach and The Beatles go hand-in-hand on Janoska Ensemble's 'Revolution' / New Classical Tracks
    Posted At: May 22, 2019

    "Where is your personality inside the piece? Can I create my own music? And yes you can, of course you can. Every human being is a unique one. Everybody has another fingerprint. And you have to show the world who you are and where you come from." Sage advice from Julius Darvas, double bassist of the four-member Janoska Ensemble. Ondrej and Roman Janoska are the group's violinists, and Frantisek J...

  • Janoska Ensemble end the Troy Chromatics 122nd season with a pleasant, playful blending of styles and plenty of musicianship / Albany Times Union
    Posted At: April 12, 2019

    The Troy Chromatics ended its 122nd season with something on the lighter side of the classical music spectrum. The four-member Janoska Ensemble improvised on themes from the masters as well as American pop standards plus folk songs of their native Slovakia. It was a pleasant diversion with a playful blending of styles and plenty of impressive musicianship. But even with all those elements, things started...
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