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Classical crossover artist and virtuoso pianist Reuel is readying a new album of original music. While we await its September release, we’re happy to premiere Reuel’s video for his marvelous take on Beethoven’s “Für Elise.” The track is from Classical, his recent album of famous classical music themes arranged, and in some cases extensively reimagined, for solo piano.
For years the Texas-born, Las Vegas-based pianist has been a jack-of-many-musical-trades: pianist, composer, film scorer, improviser, teacher, even music education app developer. As a performer and recording artist, he spans the worlds of classical, pop, film, and EDM. He has a pop band, a classical trio, and a solo concert career. He performs classical music, creative arrangements of popular music, and originals.
The upcoming Transformation album will spotlight original music that combines electronic dance tracks with piano melodies played in a classical style.
How did Reuel’s scintillating, virtuosic version of Beethoven’s beloved Bagatelle in A Minor come about? Almost every one of us, if we studied piano at all, played this beautiful composition, popularly titled “Für Elise,” at one time or another. But we common folk were happy to play the song as Beethoven wrote it.
Reuel had bigger things in mind. “As a pianist,” he explains, “I have always dreamed of rearranging Beethoven’s iconic melody ‘Für Elise’ in a more advanced classical style. This presto version begins in familiar territory and expands each part of the original composition in a Theme & Variations structure with virtuosic and modernized piano arrangements.”
Hear the whole Classical album on Spotify, and follow Reuel on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. His new album Transformation is scheduled for release September 20, 2019 on Lucky Hound Music.
