Aristo Sham Timeline (CD)

18/11/2025

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TIMELINE

Aristo Sham BusoniJ.S. Bach: Chaconne from Violin Partita No.2 J.S. Bach: Sleepers AwakeEdvard GriegHolberg Suites Bach Busoni Grieg

29 2025172009

The New York TimesGramophone BrahmsPiano Concerto No. 2

Track List:

JOHANN SEBESTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
1 Toccata in C minor, BWV 911

JOHANN SEBESTIAN BACH / arr. FERRUCCIO BUSONI (1866-1924)
2 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645
3 Chaconne from Violin Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004

JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833-1897) / arr. FERRUCCIO BUSONI
6 Chorale Preludes
4 Herzlich tut mich erfreuen, Op. 122, No. 4
5 Schmcke dich, o Liebe Seele, Op. 122, No. 5
6 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Op. 122, No. 8
7 Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Op. 122, No. 9
8 Herzlich tut mich verlangen, Op. 122, No. 10
9 Welt, ich mu dich lassen, Op. 122, No. 11

FERRUCCIO BUSONI
10 10 Variations on Chopin Prelude in C minor, BV 213a

EDVARD GRIEG (1843-1907)
Holberg Suite, Op. 40
11 I. Praeludium
12 II. Sarabande
13 III. Gavotte – Musette
14 IV. Air
15 V. Rigaudon

Aristo Sham

I am drawn to music that is borne of the rhythm of the universe music that dances upon
the inevitability of how time and space proceeds, music that re ects upon nature in all its
perspectives and crevices elements that all of us can resonate with in our own way,
emotional, intellectually, and physiologically.
I have curated a programme that adheres to this principle, and with embracing time and
space, we naturally come to the principles of transformation and a sense of timeliness; a
timelessness that looks both forwards and backwards in time. Music is played out in time,
it is the use of time that gives music its language; music also exists in time, it belongs to
the period of time of its creation, but also reveals something of the temporal continuum
a blend of foresight and tradition a timeline.
The passage of time paints a unique feeling a delightful, bittersweet mixture of nostalgia,
gratitude, memory, and anticipation a subdued emotional vortex of sorts: sitting by the
window on a plane, watching worlds and lives pass by underneath us, after a joyous
reunion with loved ones (never long enough); or ones own transformation through time in
a place of still nature, where none are the agents of change but everything is undergoing
constant change; or witnessing the acquisition of wisdom (or stubbornness) through time
in those dear to us. It is one that I am incredibly fond of, and a precious place that I would
love to share with my listeners through music.
With this album, I hope to capture these gratifying slithers of the experience of life through
the vastly differing timelines of the compositions featured, and to create a unique
overarching timeline where we allow ourselves to be inspired by the journey of time, to feel
the passage of time, to enjoy the spirit of time.

Every piece in the record holds its own interpretation of these aforementioned ideas. We
start with pure Bach and end with pure Grieg, looking towards each other (unbeknownst
to the former), traversing through four Busoni transcriptions and compositions which all
have very different opinions on how they respond to the concept of time, place, and era.
In the C minor Toccata, Bach takes a theme (an inspired, timeless one which could have
also been created yesterday) and reiterates it 17 times practically verbatim through
varying surroundings, miraculously creating a narrative that is both complete and
compelling transformation of an idea in the purest sense and a powerful experience of
the passage of time and place the raw experience of being transported through milieux
and states of mind.
The four Busoni pieces are as far from each other as can be with regards to their approach
and treatment of material, each also with an eye on mortality. With the Bach as a
springboard, the Busoni transcription of Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (also known as
Sleepers Awake) is as pure of a transcription as can be, almost stark, or barren, which is
an artistic and aesthetic choice and message in its own right, especially given the bene t
of hindsight which Busoni enjoyed. The Bach-Busoni Chaconne, however, takes a timeless
masterpiece encapsulating the greatest depths and heights of loss, grief, and hope, and
eshes it out to the maximum limit of what the material can handle, in a manner
reminiscent of an organ symphony: one foot in the Baroque, and another in the late
Romantic, some 170 years later, to create worlds embedded between. Emotions are
heightened, the scope is ballooned, and the potential of the instrument is unleashed and
fully taken advantage of.
The Brahms-Busoni Organ Chorale Preludes represent a hybrid of the two modes, closer
to the original word of Brahms, with subtle harmonic stylisation which almost act as a
commentary. It also develops on the theme of mortality, being Brahms nal composition,
where there is surprisingly little sorrow, but more of dignity and re ection poems on
gratitude, grace, celebrating a life of ful lment, tinged with melancholy and regret, but
only ever so slightly.
With 10 Variations on Chopin Prelude in C minor, Busoni takes an iconic, sombre, and
stirring theme, and proceeds to take it apart in all sorts of unexpected and inventive ways,
unabashedly whirling the theme through exotic timelines. While adhering to his aesthetic
of intellectual virtuosity, Busoni pursues his path almost with playful disregard of the
original subject matter, ending with a series of winks to the listener and a bombastic nale.
To conclude, we arrive at Griegs Fra Holbergs tid (From Holbergs Time), more commonly
known as the Holberg Suite, which garnered popularity as a string orchestra staple, and
whose provenance as a piano piece is little known. Grieg looks backwards in time through
a lens of affection and purity, conceiving a Baroque suite of the Romantic era. The
ingenious interplay of time periods, and the desire to live among many in tandem
fascination with the unknown and the known is deeply personal and one that everyone
can respond to in their own way.
I hope that this record paints a portrait of one of the key tenets in my artistic personality,
and illustrates a compelling journey through some music that is incredibly dear to me. It is
a privilege to live among great works of art which re ect and embody such intimate and
ethereal ideas, and I wish to create an emotional resonance that will contribute something
to the experience of life of everyone who enjoys my art. The presence and unfolding of time
is a miraculous, beautiful and transcendent thing, and I invite you all to nd and relish in
your own timeline of this music.