Jeff Beal: House Of Cards Symphony

This 2-disc set grew out of the fascination of Robert von Bahr, founder and managing director of BIS Records, for the television series House of Cards. It wasn’t only – or even primarily – the script or the acting that grabbed him, however, but just as much the music. Said and done – Jeff Beal, the composer of the House of Cards soundtrack, was contacted and it was soon decided that he should compose a Flute Concerto for the virtuosic Sharon Bezaly. To complement the concerto a selection of music from the series was agreed upon; this quickly grew into a large-scale House of Cards Symphony. So now the decision was made to record and present a lavish two disc-set, with three further works: Six Sixteen for guitar and orchestra (performed by Grammy Award winner Jason Vieaux), Canticle for strings and a brand new House of Cards Fantasy for flute and orchestra.

Beal’s symphonic take on his popular TV tunes is a thriller, but the delightful shorter works featuring flautist Sharon Bezaly ultimately steal the show. — BBC Music Magazine, November 2018, 4 out of 5 stars