The superstar of classical, rock and pop music takes us on his personal journey through the film soundtrack of his life.
We all enjoy recalling special moments and formative experiences: favourite songs from across many different genres, which immediately bring pictures and emotions to mind, put a smile on the face, bring comfort, and encourage us to give of our best. With Alive – My Soundtrack, star violinist David Garrett releases his latest crossover project - perhaps the most personal of his musical career to date, precisely because it features songs and pieces that have a very special meaning in Garrett's life. "My heart beats for all the songs on this album, because I have an intense connection with every single one of them. To put it simply, I carry a little piece of all of them in my heart."
Alive – My Soundtrack bursts with classics and modern songs, and presented by David Garrett with a new sound and approach. "There are 23 songs on the album, and it was incredibly difficult to make the final selection. We recorded almost twice as many songs – also because I kept having new song ideas, and was able to immediately try them out in the studio," explains David Garrett, whilst adding: "One of the last songs was ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams. At that time we had actually already recorded everything from the album - the orchestra, the drums and more - so I had the idea: No, we won't bring everyone into the studio again for that, I'm now recording everything on my instrument myself. And I'm very happy about it." The result is unique, and ‘Happy’ has probably never been recorded in this way before!
The album recordings fell exactly into the Covid-19 lockdown. David Garrett decided at short notice not to record in multiple time-limited sessions in different studios, but to dive into the creative work with his long-time producer and guitarist Franck van der Heijden in his own home studio: "The whole album was created under completely new conditions for me. I had time, I could develop the arrangements in peace, I could spontaneously try out new songs; the clocks just slowed down. Since I wasn’t able to tour, we simply had more time for each song, and that was a really extraordinary situation for me," says the award-winning musician. "I had the idea and the concept of a soundtrack album for some time. After releasing Unlimited, my best-of album, last year, I wanted to open a whole new chapter.
The new album starts with a Bee Gees classic: "Stayin' Alive" was the very first song David Garrett chose and recorded for the album. "The song was the initial spark for the whole soundtrack album, but I wanted to make it variable and not just strictly film music related from the onset." David Garrett uses his gut feeling to create the mixture and balance of classical pieces like Beethoven and modern songs like Metallica ("Enter Sandman") or Michael Jackson ("Thriller"). It is also important for him to find the appropriate "narrative strand" for the listening experience. "On all my crossover albums I take great care that the order of the songs makes a perfect whole – with atmospheric highs, but also quieter pieces." The fascination of creating ever new interpretations of songs with his instrument remains unbroken even after so many musical career highlights: "Maybe it's just the appeal, because this instrument has already created so much, to find a new way to make it sound."
On the album, David Garrett presents his personal favourites and combines them with very different memories and moments: "Dance Of The Knights" reminds him of his childhood: "I was very small, 4 or 5 years old. Even before I started playing the violin, my mother's record collection and this ballet piece were absolutely fascinating to me". When it comes to energy and giving it free rein, "Confutatis" by Mozart is a piece that grabs you right away. Louis Armstrong's "What A Wonderful World" makes him feel touched and emotional because it was "written in a difficult situation and yet, it is timeless and hopeful. "Shallow" is David Garrett's interpretation of a modern classic from the film "A Star Is Born": "I was very moved by that film." When in need of athletic motivation, it's Metallica and the brute "Enter Sandman" that gets Garrett’s adrenaline pumping. As soon as it will be possible again, he is looking forward to the live performances of the not easy to play "Hoedown", but also of "Come Together", which is played only with the electric violin. When asked which of the songs on the album he wants to start the day with, the answer is clear: “’Beauty and the Beast!’ I'm a huge Disney fan and I live by the motto: Start the day with a smile – and please don't be too hectic, but rather relaxed. And this song does that to me." There's also another Disney song on the album, "Let It Go" from Frozen. David Garrett attaches great importance to the balance of moods that each song triggers in him and the listeners. "There is always sunshine after rain, that's life and that's how I also feel about music," says Garrett, explaining the diversity on his new album.
The star violinist is looking forward to the listeners' reaction to his new album Alive: "It's still very exciting and thrilling, regardless how many albums one has released, to see if the songs trigger in people exactly the same what I feel and want to share."
Alive – My Soundtrack is a bursting musical firework and an absolute crossover highlight in the music year 2020. The multiple Echo and Bambi award winner takes the listeners on a journey, powerful, emotional, touching, and above all, 100% David Garrett.
