Benny Andersson piano – Deutsche Grammophon
The idea is so simple that you wonder why nobody thought about this before: Benny Andersson made an album with instrumental music that he wrote during his long career. Andersson had been on stage with many bands before he achieved world fame as pianist and composer of ABBA in 1974. The two singers Agneta Fältskog and Frida Lyngstad attracted the most attention in the Swedish band, but the ABBA songs stood out because of their intelligent and refined structure. The thoughtful arrangements gave Abba’s music a classical touch. The quality of the songs is undeniable; even after more than forty years they still sound fresh.
For the classical label, Deutsche Grammophon, Andersson picked the songs that are most dear to him. He played them on the Fazioli Grand Piano in his own studio in Stockholm. The Abba songs ‘The Day Before You Came’ and ‘My Love, My Life’ are the highlights of the album. The melodies are strong, even without the lyrics. Although you can’t deny the memories from the seventies and they definitely add something to the appreciation. In addition to the Abba repertoire, Andersson chose melodies from the musicals he wrote with his companion Björn Ulvaeus (Ulvaeus wrote the lyrics). Chess was an international success, Kristina From Duvemåla did it particularly well in Sweden. ‘Let The Music Speak From My Visitors’ from Chess would easily fit into Chopin’s repertoire. ‘Thank You For The Music’ sounds like a Scott Joplin ragtime, ‘Anthem’ and ‘En Skrift I Snon’ are clearly influenced by Bach.
Andersson has his own orchestra that plays folk music with a classical twist. A reunion of ABBA is out of the question; none of the former group members feels that they should perform as a mere reflection of their former selves. Rather, they might send four holograms around the world. The Piano album is a perfect alternative. The sober-minded Benny Andersson has never indulged in his own successes. He has always preferred to look for new ways. And by making his Piano album he surprised his old fans with solo renditions of his beautiful and timeless songs.