ZUBRZYCKI, SLAWOMIR - Viola Organista: Monologues & Dialogues

"Polish pianist, composer and instrument maker Slawomir Zubrzycki presents his new album Viola Organista: Monologues & Dialogues -- produced by Nils Frahm at the legendary Funkhaus Berlin. The Viola Organista, a unique keyboard string instrument originally designed by Leonardo da Vinci but never built, takes center stage. The Viola Organista produces its sound through a rotating wheel system that strokes strings like a bow -- a fascinating hybrid of keyboard and string instrument. Zubrzycki reconstructed the instrument based on centuries-old sketches, breathing new life into one of the most unusual instruments in music history. The album brings together works by Dowland , Marais , Kircher , Handel , Podbielski , J.C. Bach , and J.S. Bach , interpreted on the viola organista -- partly solo, partly as a duo with harpsichordist Lilianna Stawarz . The repertoire impressively demonstrates the emotional depth and tonal diversity of the instrument. Zubrzycki's aim is to establish the viola organista as a living contemporary instrument -- not as a museum exhibit, but as an inspiration for new music. Artists such as Björk and Nils Frahm share his vision. This album is a milestone -- both sonically and historically."