Orphée (album)

Orphée
Studio album by Jóhann Jóhannsson
Released	16 September 2016 (2016-09-16)
Recorded	2009–2016
Genre	Modern classical
Length	46:26
Label	Deutsche Grammophon
Producer	Jóhann Jóhannsson
Jóhann Jóhannsson chronology
End of Summer (2015) Orphée (2016) Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2016)

Orphée is a solo studio album by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. It was released on 16 September 2016, through Deutsche Grammophon. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.[1]

Background

The music of Orphée is inspired by Jean Cocteau's film of the same name,[2] Ovid's interpretation of the Orpheus myth,[3] and Jóhann Jóhannsson's own life changes, specifically his relocation from Copenhagen to Berlin.[4] The album includes contributions from Jóhannsson (on piano, electronics, pipe organ, and electric organ), Hildur Guðnadóttir (on cello), the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra (conducted by Anthony Weeden), and the Theatre of Voices (conducted by Paul Hillier).[5] Recordings of numbers stations are also used in the album.[6]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	79/100[1]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[7]
The Guardian	[8]
Pitchfork	7.5/10[3]
PopMatters	7/10[9]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Orphée received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 79 out of 100 from 7 critic scores.[1]

Kate Molleson of The Guardian commented that Jóhann Jóhannsson "does lush, spacious things with piano, organ, solo cello, string quartet, string orchestra, voices and crackling electronics, and the arrangements are sensitively done, though I can't say I found much compelling drama in it."[8] Mark Mobley of NPR stated, "If you're into Philip Glass and Michael Nyman and Arvo Pärt and movie soundtracks in general, this could be for you."[2]

Accolades

Year-end lists for Orphée

Publication	List	Rank	Ref.
Rolling Stone	20 Best Avant Albums of 2016	11	[10]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Jóhann Jóhannsson.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Flight from the City"	6:31
2.	"A Song for Europa"	2:33
3.	"The Drowned World"	2:20
4.	"A Deal with Chaos"	2:05
5.	"A Pile of Dust"	4:51
6.	"A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder"	2:27
7.	"Fragment I"	1:24
8.	"By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field"	2:38
9.	"The Radiant City"	3:31
10.	"Fragment II"	2:12
11.	"The Burning Mountain"	2:45
12.	"De Luce et Umbra"	2:28
13.	"Good Morning, Midnight"	3:17
14.	"Good Night, Day"	3:57
15.	"Orphic Hymn"	3:27
Total length:		46:26

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.[11]

Musicians

• Jóhann Jóhannsson – piano, electronics, pipe organ, electric organ, arrangement, orchestration, production, recording
• Hildur Guðnadóttir – cello

American Contemporary Music Ensemble

• Yuki Numata Resnick – violin
• Caleb Burhans – violin
• Ben Russell – viola
• Clarice Jensen – cello

Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra

• Anthony Weeden – conducting, additional orchestration

Theatre of Voices

• Paul Hillier – conducting
• Else Torp – soprano vocals
• Signe Asmussen – mezzo-soprano vocals
• Ellen Marie Brink Christensen – mezzo-soprano vocals
• Elenor Wiman – mezzo-soprano vocals
• Kristin Mulders – mezzo-soprano vocals
• Chris Watson – tenor vocals
• Paul Bentley-Angell – tenor vocals
• Jakob Bloch Jespersen – bass-baritone vocals
• Jakob Soelberg – bass-baritone vocals

Technical personnel

• Geoff Foster – recording
• Preben Iwan – recording
• Ívar Ragnarsson – recording
• Mette Due – recording
• Francesco Donadello – recording, mixing
• Calyx Mastering – mastering
• Owen Roberts – additional orchestration
• Christian Badzura – executive production
• Leonie Petersen – project management
• Burkhard Bartsch – project management
• Jens Schünemeyer – booklet editing
• Anders Ladegaard – artwork
• Jónatan Grétarsson – photography

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart performance for Orphée

Chart (2016)	Peak position
UK Classical Artist Albums (OCC)[12]	4
US Top Classical Albums (Billboard)[13]	6

Year-end charts

Chart performance for Orphée

Chart (2016)	Peak position
Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi)[14]	68

References

1. "Orphée by Jóhann Jóhannsson". Metacritic. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
2. Mobley, Mark (8 September 2016). "Review: Jóhann Jóhannsson, 'Orphée'". NPR. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
3. Scheim, Benjamin (13 September 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphée". Pitchfork. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
4. Pearlman, Mischa (2 December 2016). "The Dark Night: Jóhann Jóhannsson on "Orphée"". Flood Magazine. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
5. Day, Laurence (18 July 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson announces new record inspired by "the Orpheus myth"". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
6. Wilson, Scott (27 August 2016). "Blade Runner 2's Jóhann Jóhannsson on Orphée and his biggest challenge yet". Fact. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
7. Phares, Heather. "Orphée - Jóhann Jóhannsson". AllMusic. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
8. Molleson, Kate (3 November 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphée CD review – sensitive ambient arrangements". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
9. Laird, Christopher (22 September 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphee". PopMatters. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
10. Weingarten, Christopher R. (28 December 2016). "20 Best Avant Albums of 2016: Jóhann Jóhannsson, 'Orphée'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
11. Jóhann Jóhannsson (2016). Orphée (CD booklet). Deutsche Grammophon.
12. "Official Classical Artist Albums Chart on 23/9/2016". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
13. "Johann Johannsson Chart History (Top Classical Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
14. "Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2016" (in Icelandic). Plötutíóindi. Retrieved 1 April 2022.

Further reading

• Robertson, Derek (15 September 2016). "Jóhann Jóhannsson's Track By Track Guide to Orphée". Drowned in Sound. Retrieved 11 February 2025.

External links

• Orphée at Discogs (list of releases)