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Karl Jenkins

Stravaganza

Decca Records
Release Date: August 9, 2024

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Karl Jenkins on Karl Jenkins
1 Palladio Reimagined 1 Allegretto  
2 Largo  
3 Vivace  
4 Stravaganza 1 Perambulation  
5 Stravaganza 2 Dreams & Drones  
6 Stravaganza 3 Wonky Wheels  
7 Stravaganza 4 Flight … of fancy  
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Decca Records is thrilled to present Stravaganza, a new album of world premiere recordings of works by legendary composer Sir Karl Jenkins. Featuring his saxophone concerto of the same name – written for and performed by star saxophonist Jess Gillam – the album also includes a vibrant reimagining of Sir Karl’s beloved work Palladio, heard here in a brand-new orchestration by the composer.  

The recording is the first since Decca honoured Sir Karl with a historic lifetime deal, celebrating the composer’s 80th birthday and recognising his enduring musical appeal. Stravaganza is out today, coinciding with its live performance at the BBC Proms (Prom 32, 12th August). 

Stravaganza, which means ‘eccentric’ in Italian, explores themes of carnival and extravagant fantasy and was written especially for Jess, inspired by her experience of first trying a saxophone at a carnival centre in her native Cumbria. The four-movement work blends Karl’s backgrounds in jazz and classical music, and features some truly virtuosic moments for the soprano saxophone, played here by Jess with her trademark skill and expressiveness. 

The concerto was commissioned by BBC Radio 3 and the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester, receiving its first performance at the Berlin Philharmonie in June 2023 with the DSO and Jess as the soloist. Although Karl has composed a sequence of earlier concertos, collected together on the Quirk album on Decca, the creation of Stravaganza in 2019 has a personal significance. The composer studied oboe at the Royal Academy of Music in London and worked as a reed player for many years in the 1970s with jazz-rock fusion groups Nucleus and Soft Machine. 

Stravaganza is performed at the BBC Proms on Monday 12th August, performed by Jess and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under conductor Nil Venditti. This is the first time that Sir Karl’s music has been featured at the Proms. 

Sir Karl Jenkins said: “The inspiration for Stravaganza is that Jess first played a saxophone and found her musical home in a carnival centre, having first tried the stilts and then the drums. The work is in four movements, and a certain eccentricity or quirkiness pervades throughout. In many ways it is programmatic, but the listener may create her or his eccentric fantasies. To my delight, Jess chose the soprano saxophone (the highest in pitch of those in common use) for this particular ‘parade’. It has been wonderful to work with Jess on this over the last few years and to see her bring this concerto to life.”

  • Karl Jenkins: One World is the WFMT: Featured New Release
    Posted At: July 25, 2023 12:00 AM
    A new album from Sir Karl Jenkins, one of the world’s most-performed living composers. The album presents One World, commissioned by Nicol Matt, founder and artistic director of the World Choir for Peace. Released on Decca Records The World Choir for Peace was founded in 2018 to mark the 100th anniversary of the First World War when Sir Karl conducted a commemorative performance of his The Armed M...
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  • Coronation composer Sir Karl Jenkins breaks UK chart record / BBC Music Magazine
    Posted At: May 19, 2023 12:00 AM
    A global survey in 2011 showed Karl Jenkins to be among the most performed living composers. Raised in Penclawdd on the Gower Peninsula, and educated at Gowerton Grammar School, he read music at Cardiff University (B.Mus) and the Royal Academy of Music, London (LRAM).Together with the global ‘cross-genre’ phenomenon Adiemus, The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace is perhaps his best-known work, approaching 3000 pe...
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  • Karl Jenkins: Symphonic Adiemus is WCLV: Recording Of the Week
    Posted At: May 14, 2018 12:00 AM

    This album marks the beginning a multi record deal between Sir Karl Jenkins, the most performed living composer, and Decca Records.  It was released September 29, 2017 – the same day the work received its world premiere in London. Jenkins's whole catalogue of recordings, including his popular work The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace also moves to Decca from starting December 2018. Symphonic Adiemu...
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  • Karl Jenkins - Cantata Memoria feature on Radio Purdue: WBAA
    Posted At: September 6, 2017 12:00 AM

    We remember and keep in mind people we hold dear. Memorials these days can be online, as well as landmark objects, or art objects. There are sculptures, statues, fountains, and even entire parks! We'll hear some audio memorial from composer Karl Jenkins on today's What's New. Karl Jenkins's Cantata Memoria was written for the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster (October 21, 1966) when a coal...
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  • Decca signs Sir Karl Jenkins / Rhinegold Publishing
    Posted At: September 5, 2017 12:00 AM

    Sir Karl Jenkins has signed a multi-album deal with Decca, beginning with the release of his new album, Symphonic Adiemus, on 29 September – the day the work receives its world premiere in London. The label will acquire his catalogue of recordings will from 31 December 2018. Symphonic Adiemus comprises a selection of key moments from Jenkins' series of Adiemus albums, arranged for full choir and or...
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  • Karl Jenkins premieres - The Universe, with SOI in Mumbai / Mid-Day.com
    Posted At: August 20, 2017 12:00 AM

    Connoisseurs of Western classical and jazz rock music in the city have something to look forward to in September. Acclaimed Welsh musician and composer Sir Karl Jenkins is set to take stage at the NCPA for the Autumn 2017 season of the Symphony Orchestra of India. Best known for his Requiem, and The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, dedicated to the victims of the Kosovo crisis, Sir Karl is the most-performed...
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  • 2017 CLASSIC fM - Hall of Fame breaks previous record for most living composers
    Posted At: April 18, 2017 12:00 AM

    This year's CLASSIC fM - Hall of Fame includes the highest number of pieces by living composers in the chart's 22-year history, with a total of 44 pieces written by 27 living composers. Mozart has regained his place as the most popular composer with 19 pieces in the chart. Coming in at number four, John Williams is the most popular living composer. Now in his 85th birthday year, Williams has...
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  • New Classical Tracks features Karl Jenkins, Cantata Memoria
    Posted At: April 12, 2017 12:00 AM

    On Oct. 21, 1966, the children in the Welsh village of Aberfan went to school just like any other day. But that day, a heavy rain began to fall, and tragedy hit when 40,000 cubic meters of mining debris careened downhill in a landslide burying that little school, killing 116 children and 28 adults. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster, composer Karl Jenkins was commissioned to comp...
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  • Morricone 60, 2CELLOS 'Score' & Max Richter's 'Three Worlds' make Top 10 on this week's Classic FM chart
    Posted At: April 10, 2017 12:00 AM

    St Pauls Cathedral Choir - Jubilate: 500 Years of Cathedral Music is at no. 1 for the third week in a row since it entered the Classic FM Chart. Einaudi's Islands steps back up to no. 2, whereas last week's no. 2 from Alfie Boe is no longer in the chart. A highlight of the top 10 is Morricone 60, which has climbed up 9 places from no. 13 to no. 4. There is also a re-...
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  • Karl Jenkins, 'Cantata Memoria' on New Classical Tracks
    Posted At: February 15, 2017 12:00 AM

    New Classical Tracks is a Syndicated Feature airing Nationally on Classical 24 & Statewide on Minnesota Public Radio. Listen to Julie Amacher's Feature with Karl Jenkins. READ THE TRANSCRIPT - On Oct. 21, 1966, the children in the Welsh village of Aberfan went to school just like any other day. But that day, a heavy rain began to fall, and tragedy hit when 40,000 cubic meters of mining d...
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  • Karl Jenkins on writing music / Epoch Times
    Posted At: January 23, 2017 12:00 AM

    Welsh composer Karl Jenkins' music is considered by some to be too popular to be classical, and he's just fine with that. Jenkins wants to write music that, first of all, pleases him, and is something that others can enjoy. Beyond that, he tends to resist categorization. "I write pretty accessible, tuneful music," Jenkins said. "Music has a worth and it's not subject to fashion. … [I want] to...
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  • Karl Jenkins' tribute to Aberfan - Cantata Memoria / Classic fm
    Posted At: September 20, 2016 12:00 AM

    A pile of debris from nearby mines had been building up just above the village of Aberfan – and in 1966 it collapsed, pouring a mass of slurry 12 metres deep on to the Pantglas Junior School. It is now 50 years since this disaster – one of the country's worst. And Welsh language TV channel S4C commissioned composer Sir Karl Jenkins to write a piece to mark the anniversary. Cantata Memoria...
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  • Classic FM to broadcast world premiere of Karl Jenkins' The Healer / Classic FM interview
    Posted At: October 27, 2014 12:00 AM

    On Tuesday 28 October at 8pm, Classic FM will broadcast the world premiere of The Healer composed by Karl Jenkins. Here Jenkins himself guides you through everything about his latest masterpiece.   In a sentence or less, how would you describe the music to someone who's never heard it before? I can only refer to it in terms of my style: accessible, tuneful, hopefully memorable ...
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  • Karl Jenkins - Motets / New Classical Tracks
    Posted At: October 15, 2014 12:00 AM

    LISTEN TO JULIE AMACHER'S INTERVIEW WITH KARL JENKINS.   Transcript is below "I always write accessible music - it's tuneful, accessible and strikes an emotional chord with people, I believe. The Mass for Peace, for example, has been performed almost 2,000 times around the planet. So the music does strike a chord with people, which is very humbling and gratifying from my perspective, re...
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  • Karl Jenkins named Patron of Ty Cerdd / Wales Online
    Posted At: September 29, 2014 12:00 AM

    Karl Jenkins has been named Patron of Ty Cerdd - Music Centre Wales, an organization that supports the performance and recording of music in and of Wales. Representing over 22,000 performers, the organization provides grants and artistic advice to a wide variety of musicians. As Patron, Jenkins will serve as an ambassador for Welsh music around the world and will receive a commission in 2015.  R...
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  • Karl Jenkins - Motets is a WFMT 'New Release of the Week'
    Posted At: August 3, 2014 12:00 AM

    This album of choral music celebrates Karl Jenkins' 70th birthday and his 50-year career in music. A motet is a piece of sacred music for unaccompanied voices. The works on this new collection include movements taken from Jenkins' extended works, reconceived for this format, together with several pieces that are newly composed. They are performed by Stephen Layton and Polyphony, called ...
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  • Karl Jenkins - motets: Polyphony / Audiophile Audition review
    Posted At: July 30, 2014 12:00 AM

    Karl Jenkins, easily one of the most popular choral composers in the world [and easily the most performed in the U.K Celebraing his 70th birthday this year, DGG has kicked off the event with this release of Motets, though the title is a little misleading. In fact Jenkins has reworked some of the most popular movements from his previous works like The Armed Man, Requiem, and The Peacemakers into the unacc...
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  • Karl Jenkins: motets - Polyphony / WQXR 'Album Of the Week'
    Posted At: July 21, 2014 12:00 AM

    The career of Welsh composer Karl Jenkins is something of a paradox: he's been hugely successful around the globe, having amassed 17 gold and platinum albums and been featured in TV commercials for British Airways and De Beers. His choral work The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace has been performed nearly 2,000 times in approximately 30 countries. Yet, even as he turned 70 in February, many cla...
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  • Karl Jenkins celebrates 70th birthday and 50 years in music with new DG recording - Motets
    Posted At: May 8, 2014 12:00 AM

    Welsh composer Karl Jenkins is celebrating his milestone achievements with a new album for Deutsche Grammophon called 'Motets.' Featuring a set of choral pieces, some newly composed and some taken from Mr. Jenkins most popular and enduring extended pieces like The Armed Man, Requiem, The Peacemakers, Adiemus and Palladio, Mr. Jenkins talks through the works celebrating both his 70th bir...
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  • The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace. With Karl Jenkins treatment, his six century old tradition is a profoundly moving yet very accessible work
    Posted At: June 1, 2005 12:00 AM

    "The Armed Man - A Mass For Peace" by Karl Jenkins is the result of a special millennial commission from the Royal Armouries and the latest in a six century old tradition of "Armed Man" masses that take the fifteenth century French song "L'Homme Arm " as their starting point. According to Guy Wilson, Master of the Royal Armouries "The theme that 'the armed man must be feared' wh...
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  • The most popular living composer, Karl Jenkins, releases 'Requiem.' A dramatic and powerful work
    Posted At: June 1, 2005 12:00 AM

    Welsh-born Karl Jenkins, who has been called "the most popular living composer", is one of the most successful contemporary British composers, writing music that speaks to audiences across the world. Followingthe huge success of his Adiemus project, which has gone gold in many countries, and The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace, Karl Jenkins has now completed his new piece Requiem, which is being released on ...
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