Markus Burger: “The Vienna Sessions” (2022) CD Review

Markus Burger is a pianist and composer born in Germany and now residing in southern California. In addition to his solo work, he is part of the duo Spiritual Standards and the trio Accidental Tourists, and also teaches at Fullerton College and San Diego State University. His newest release, The Vienna Sessions, features original compositions inspired by that city. These tracks were recorded in Vienna back in 2019, and Markus Burger performs them solo, on a Bösendorfer grand piano.

The album opens with “Daybreak.” When this track begins, it has a sense of magic about it, of possibilities. A sense of hope streaming in with the light. Ah, if daybreak always sounded like that, we’d all be thrilled to start each day. The piece then settles a bit, feeling more relaxed. It is like those extraordinary mornings when you are able to stay in bed even after the light has begun coming through the window, when you’re awake, but easing into the day, when time doesn’t intrude, when you can continue to cuddle with your partner. This is a pretty track, and a wonderful start to this album, for it puts us in a better frame of mind, a better place. “Daybreak” is followed by “Morning Mist,” which has a more curious opening, like tentative steps into a perhaps delicate or uncertain land. Ripples spread out from each step, the echoes of movement coming back to us. Then in contrast to that piece, “A Knight’s Tale” begins with a fuller sound, with warmer, stronger tones. And as it progresses, there are moments of a youthful cheer or excitement.

“Along The Creek” has a sense of solitude as it starts, but then we feel nature begin to surround us, for the music grows in power, while still remaining a rather solitary experience. It then eases out at the end. This is a short piece, just under two minutes in length. It is followed by “Café Mozart,” named after an actual coffee house that has existed in Vienna for an exceptionally long time. There is a sense of ease here, of being relaxed amid beauty. But there is also a sense of activity happening around, activity we can watch without getting caught up in it. As the piece slows toward the end, it feels like we are slowing, aging, remaining in place, but smiling as the world fades from our view. There is a warm, peaceful feel to “Harmonic Stroll,” which follows it, and as this track continues, there is joy and feeling of ability, of movement. It then grows calmer again toward the end, the movement slowing. Then “Cibelle’s Lullaby” has a somewhat solemn tone as it begins. There is a beauty here, and it does get lighter, but I can’t shake a feeling of something lost beneath it.

“Doom And Gloom” is a perfect title for these troubled times, when there are mass shootings every day, and when nuts on the right are turning more gleefully authoritarian. And yes, this piece does have a darker vibe. There is a sense of being on the edge. But it is a very short piece, so that feeling does not last. The mood certainly changes with the next track, titled “O Great Love.” There is a sense of almost being awed by beauty, of trying to take it all in and express it, getting pieces at a time. It feels a spiritual thing. Then “Fall Days” has warm tones of golds and reds, as we walk and take in the wonder of the day. Then we feel that the warmth is coming from within, not without, and in fact there might even be a bit of a chill in the air. But as long as we’re together, that sense of warmth, of peace will continue. This is one of my personal favorites.

“An Afternoon In Vienna” begins tentatively, its sound lonesome but gentle. It soon grows into something more welcoming and beautiful. There is motion around, but not a rush, not a frenzy, and we remain calm within the pulse of the city. This track then settles toward the end. It is followed by “Dulcimer,” which startles us with its different sound. This is a short piece, less than two minutes, and is followed by another short track, “Silent Lament,” which has a mournful, pensive vibe. Then “Renaissance Romance” is an interesting piece that begins slowly and then nearly halfway through becomes more insistent, more intense before easing back again. That’s followed by “Merry Gathering Before Walking Home,” which has warmth and passion. The album concludes with a piece titled “Rejoicing,” its sound being exactly what you’d hope for. This is a track to raise our spirits, to leave us in a happier, though still thoughtful, state.

CD Track List

1. Daybreak
2. Morning Mist
3. A Knight’s Tale
4. Along The Creek
5. Café Mozart
6. Harmonic Stroll
7. Cibelle’s Lullaby
8. Doom And Gloom
9. O Great Love
10. Fall Days
11. An Afternoon In Vienna
12. Dulcimer
13. Silent Lament
14. Renaissance Romance
15. Merry Gathering Before Walking Home
16. Rejoicing

The Vienna Sessions was released on February 4, 2022 on Challenge Records.