Opus (Schiller album)

Album

The album Opus combines electronic music with classical music such as Swan Lake. It's also inspired by and based on songs such as Gymnopédie no. 1 by Erik Satie, Edvard Grieg's Solveig's Song, Sergei Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody On A Theme Of Paganini op. 43 and Claude Debussy's Reverie. After Schiller already released some singles with classical influences such as "Ein schöner Tag" (2000) with German singer Isgaard and "Time for Dreams" (2008) with Chinese pianist Lang Lang, it's the first completely classical inspired album of Schiller. Originally it was planned as a purely instrumental album, but then it was supplemented with vocals during the developing process. For the creation of the album Christopher von Deylen travelled to the Coachella Valley in California, USA. The performances of Anna Netrebko were recorded in the Dvorák Hall of the Rudolfinum in Prague, Hélène Grimaud's performances were recorded at the Kaufman Astoria Studios in New York City, Diana Tishchenko's and Albrecht Mayer's performances were recorded at the b-sharp Studios in Berlin.

It was released in different editions, including the limited "Ultra Deluxe Edition" of 2.500 exemplares handsigned by Christopher von Deylen. Schiller presented this album for the first time to journalists and traders at four exclusive listening sessions in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and Cologne. On August 29, 2013 (2013-08-29) and August 30, 2013 (2013-08-30) the album Opus was presented to the Schiller fans at two album release events in Berlin.

With the album Opus, Schiller introduced, for the first time since the debut album Zeitgeist, a new logotype and a completely new corporate identity. It's also the first album without a name in German language. And it's the first Schiller album without the standard "Willkommen" (welcome) introduction and the first with a photography instead of a graphic on its cover. The art work includes pictures by photographer Philip Glaser. The cover landscape photo was shot by Toby Harriman.

The music video of Swan Lake had its world premiere on August 30, 2013 (2013-08-30) on the websites mtv.de and viva.tv. Even though Swan Lake wasn't officially released as a single, the song charted at position 57 on the German singles chart. The music video was produced by Peacock Productions London and was shot in Coachella Valley in the United States. The video was produced and directed by Tara Clark and Caroline Jones.

Standard edition

1. Opus: Exposition
2. Desert empire
3. Gymnopédie no. 1 (with Hélène Grimaud)
4. Swan lake (with Albrecht Mayer)
5. Solveig's song (with Anna Netrebko)
6. Twentynine palms
7. Promenade
8. El cielo
9. Rêverie
10. Imperial valley
11. Sunrise way
12. In paradisum
13. Rhapsody on a theme of paganini (with Hélène Grimaud)
14. Opus: Reprise

Deluxe edition

CD 1

1. Opus: Exposition
2. Desert empire
3. Gymnopédie no. 1 (with Hélène Grimaud)
4. Swan lake (with Albrecht Mayer)
5. Solveig's song (with Anna Netrebko)
6. Twentynine palms
7. Promenade
8. El cielo
9. Rêverie
10. Imperial valley
11. Sunrise way
12. In paradisum
13. Rhapsody on a theme of paganini (with Hélène Grimaud)
14. Opus: Reprise

Exclusive bonus tracks on special editions:

CD 2

1. Desert empire: Variation
2. L'horizon
3. Gymnopédie no. 1: variation (with Diana Tishchenko)
4. Bermuda dunes
5. Indian canyons
6. Swan lake: variation (with Albrecht Mayer)
7. Imperial valley: variation
8. L'horizon empire

Limited Ultra Deluxe edition

CD 1

1. Opus: Exposition
2. Desert empire
3. Gymnopédie no. 1 (with Hélène Grimaud)
4. Swan lake (with Albrecht Mayer)
5. Solveig's song (with Anna Netrebko)
6. Twentynine palms
7. Promenade
8. El cielo
9. Rêverie
10. Imperial valley
11. Sunrise way
12. In paradisum
13. Rhapsody on a theme of paganini (with Hélène Grimaud)
14. Opus: Reprise

CD 2

1. Desert empire: Variation
2. L'horizon
3. Gymnopédie no. 1: variation (with Diana Tishchenko)
4. Bermuda dunes
5. Indian canyons
6. Swan lake: variation (with Albrecht Mayer)
7. Imperial valley: variation
8. L'horizon empire

CD 03 - Horizon

1. Horizon Part I 5:28
2. Horizon Part II 7:17
3. Horizon Part III 6:43
4. Horizon Part IV 6:21
5. Horizon Part V 8:32
6. Horizon Part VI 8:25
7. Horizon Part VII 8:37

CD 04 - Originals

1. Pictures At An Exhibition: Promenade (Modest Mussorgsky) - New York Philharmonic (Orchestra) & Giuseppe Sinopoli (Conductor) 1:08
2. Solveig's Song (Edvard Grieg) - Anna Netrebko (Voice), Prague Philharmonia (Orchestra) & Emmanuel Villaume (Conductor) 5:00
3. In Paradisum (from 'Requiem op. 48) (Gabriel Fauré) - Philharmonia Chorus & Orchestra (Orchestra) & Carlo Maria Giulini (Conductor) 3:50
4. Swan Lake: Scene (Piotr Illitch Tchaïkovsky) - Boston Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) & Seiji Ozawa (Conductor) 2:38
5. Rêverie (Claude Debussy) - Pascal Rogé (Piano) 4:55
6. Gymnopédie No. 1 (Erik Satie) - Hélène Grimaud (Piano) 3:37