Originally recorded in 2011 as a special analogue edition, this album features impressive variations of Verdi’s master opera “Otello” by Germany’s leading bassist Dieter Ilg. In a trio with Rainer Böhm (piano) and Patrice Heral (drums). Otello performed Live at Schloss Elmau in Germany.

In the fourth act of Giuseppe Verdi’s ‘Otello’ the story culminates with Othello, frantic with jealousy, planning to murder his wife Desdemona. At this point you hear Verdi’s stroke of genius – a powerful bass line that goes right through you, and for bass players this line has been one of the highlights of classical music ever since. Dieter Ilg discovered it early in his career and it has been the initial part of his daily practice ever since.

Nevertheless, the road to Ilg’s first album on ACT, ‘Otello Live at Schloss Elmau’, was a long one; an internationally famous bass player, he has had a remarkable 20-year career outside classical music… Searching for a recognizable project that would suit him, Ilg turned to his long-standing passion for Verdi and began to rediscover it. “Otello is an inspiration,” he says. “It is continuously in motion. Just take a look at Verdi’s harmonic turns that have often been used in jazz, but just in a different way. This is a perfect example of bridging the gap. Equally important is the dramatic component of the music that can be created through the individual interpretations and improvisations.” For this project he not only returned to the line-up he had favoured in the early stages of his career, but also found the two ideal musicians for his trio.

The pianist Rainer Böhm had first attracted Ilg’s attention in 2007, when he was judging the Jazzhaus piano competition which Böhm won. In the meantime, Böhm has been awarded with several other important accolades – most recently he followed in Ilg’s footsteps by winning the Jazzpreis Baden-Württemberg. The style of the French drummer and percussionist Patrice Heral is also one of a kind – it varies from subtle passages to powerful solos with loops and mouth percussion. Perfectly fitting alongside Ilg’s singing bass, these two accompanists are the ideal choice. The trio precision in the use of musical expressions is balanced through their recognition of the importance of pauses, as well as the power of calmness. Examples of technically brilliant realizations of these principles are the fragile ‘Ave Maria’ or on the other side of the spectrum, the groovy version of the famous ‘Fuoco di Gioia’.

Dieter Ilg – Bass
Patrice Heral – Drums
Rainer Böhm – Piano