Jaques Loussier Trio: Beethoven - Theme and Variation

Jacques Loussier's repertoire includes jazz-style realisations of works from Bach and Vivaldi. Now he moves onto Beethoven...

Composer: Beethoven
Repertoire: Allegretto from Symphony No. 7: Theme and Variations
Artists: Jacques Loussier
Rating: 2/5 
Genre: Instrumental
Label: Telarc CD-83580

Hmmm. Loussier has been playing jazz-style realisations of Bach for some 40 years, and more recently (1997) turned his hand to Vivaldi. However, the Allegretto from Beethoven’s Seventh lacks Bach’s contrapuntal bedrock and therefore doesn’t adapt itself so easily. The further away Loussier gets from Beethoven’s original the better it all sounds, but the ‘groovy’ treatment of the theme does take some putting up with.