Rural music in Grisons style

Every good piece of music must always contain a touch of poetry. This was the philosophy of Bernese musician Jürg Kuhn, who composed and played traditional music in the Graubünden style for 70 years. Now, two years after his passing, a collection of his most beautiful pieces and recordings is being released. The CD spans from the original "Wättertanne" from 1969 (featuring the legendary Heinz Brunner of the Studentenländlerkapelle, who influenced Jürg Kuhn's compositions just as much as the old Graubünden musicians Majoleth, Kollegger, and Bergamin) to the Gätzi-Musig (with violin, viola, accordion, dulcimer, and bass) and includes previously unreleased live recordings in a quintet format. Distinctive pieces such as the sparsely instrumented, melancholic "Wättertanne-Waltz" stand alongside lively Scottish dances and polkas in quintet arrangements, as well as playful, intertwining dialogues between violin and accordion. Another specialty of these recordings is the second voices: either carefully and often contrapuntally arranged or – which is rare in today's music – freely improvised in the spirit of Luzi Bergamin and Hans Disch. At the same time, all 56 compositions by Jürg Kuhn, mostly arranged for clarinet in two parts, are being published as a sheet music book. Thus, a Bernese folk musician receives his late recognition, having created music with warmth, character, and poetry in the shadow of more famous stars.