Orphée (album)

{{Infobox album

| name = Orphée

| type = studio

| artist = Jóhann Jóhannsson

| cover = File:Orphee-Jóhann Jóhannsson-Cover.jpg

| alt = Album cover

| released = {{Start date|df=yes|2016|09|16}}

| recorded = 2009–2016

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = Modern classical

| length = {{Duration|m=46|s=26}}

| label = Deutsche Grammophon

| producer = Jóhann Jóhannsson

| prev_title = End of Summer

| prev_year = 2015

| next_title = Arrival (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

| next_year = 2016

}}

Orphée is a solo studio album by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson. It was released on 16 September 2016, through Deutsche Grammophon. It received generally favorable reviews from critics.

Background

The music of Orphée is inspired by Jean Cocteau's film of the same name, Ovid's interpretation of the Orpheus myth, and Jóhann Jóhannsson's own life changes, specifically his relocation from Copenhagen to Berlin.{{Cite web |url=https://floodmagazine.com/41930/dark-night-johannsson/ |title=The Dark Night: Jóhann Jóhannsson on "Orphée" |website=Flood Magazine |first=Mischa |last=Pearlman |date=2 December 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}} The album includes contributions from Jóhannsson (on piano, electronics, pipe organ, and electric organ), Hildur Guðnadóttir (on cello), the American Contemporary Music Ensemble, the Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra (conducted by Anthony Weeden), and the Theatre of Voices (conducted by Paul Hillier).{{Cite web |url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/johann-johannsson-announces-new-record-inspired-by-the-orpheus-myth |title=Jóhann Jóhannsson announces new record inspired by "the Orpheus myth" |website=The Line of Best Fit |first=Laurence |last=Day |date=18 July 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}} Recordings of numbers stations are also used in the album.{{Cite web |url=https://www.factmag.com/2016/08/27/blade-runner-2-johann-johannsson-orphee/ |title=Blade Runner 2's Jóhann Jóhannsson on Orphée and his biggest challenge yet |website=Fact |first=Scott |last=Wilson |date=27 August 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}}

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| MC = 79/100{{Cite web |url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/orphee/johann-johannsson |title=Orphée by Jóhann Jóhannsson |website=Metacritic |access-date=11 February 2025}}

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1score = {{rating|4.5|5}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/orphée-mw0002960605 |title=Orphée - Jóhann Jóhannsson |website=AllMusic |first=Heather |last=Phares |access-date=11 February 2025}}

| rev2 = The Guardian

| rev2score = {{rating|3|5}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2016/nov/03/johann-johannsson-orphee-cd-review-deutsche-grammophon |title=Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphée CD review – sensitive ambient arrangements |website=The Guardian |first=Kate |last=Molleson |date=3 November 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}}

| rev3 = Pitchfork

| rev3score = 7.5/10{{Cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/22305-orphee/ |title=Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphée |website=Pitchfork |first=Benjamin |last=Scheim |date=13 September 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}}

| rev4 = PopMatters

| rev4score = 7/10{{Cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/johann-johannsson-orphee-2495415332.html |title=Jóhann Jóhannsson: Orphee |website=PopMatters |first=Christopher |last=Laird |date=22 September 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}}

}}

Kate Molleson of The Guardian commented that Jóhann Jóhannsson "does lush, spacious things with piano, organ, solo cello, string quartet, string orchestra, voices and crackling electronics, and the arrangements are sensitively done, though I can't say I found much compelling drama in it." Mark Mobley of NPR stated, "If you're into Philip Glass and Michael Nyman and Arvo Pärt and movie soundtracks in general, this could be for you."{{Cite web |url=https://www.npr.org/2016/09/08/492855722/first-listen-j-hann-j-hannsson-orph-e |title=Review: Jóhann Jóhannsson, 'Orphée' |website=NPR |first=Mark |last=Mobley |date=8 September 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}}

= Accolades =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" \|+ Year-end lists for Orphée
scope="col" \| Publication ! scope="col" \| List ! scope="col" \| Rank ! scope="col" class="unsortable" \| {{Ref.}}
scope="row" \| Rolling Stone \| 20 Best Avant Albums of 2016 \| {{center\|11}} \| {{center\|{{Cite web \|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/20-best-avant-albums-of-2016-122453/johann-johannsson-orphee-105265/ \|title=20 Best Avant Albums of 2016: Jóhann Jóhannsson, 'Orphée' \|website=Rolling Stone \|first=Christopher R. \|last=Weingarten \|date=28 December 2016 \|access-date=11 February 2025}}}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders"

|+ Year-end lists for Orphée

scope="col" | Publication

! scope="col" | List

! scope="col" | Rank

! scope="col" class="unsortable" | {{Ref.}}

scope="row" | Rolling Stone

| 20 Best Avant Albums of 2016

| {{center|11}}

| {{center|{{Cite web |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/20-best-avant-albums-of-2016-122453/johann-johannsson-orphee-105265/ |title=20 Best Avant Albums of 2016: Jóhann Jóhannsson, 'Orphée' |website=Rolling Stone |first=Christopher R. |last=Weingarten |date=28 December 2016 |access-date=11 February 2025}}}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Jóhann Jóhannsson.

| title1 = Flight from the City

| length1 = 6:31

| title2 = A Song for Europa

| length2 = 2:33

| title3 = The Drowned World

| length3 = 2:20

| title4 = A Deal with Chaos

| length4 = 2:05

| title5 = A Pile of Dust

| length5 = 4:51

| title6 = A Sparrow Alighted Upon Our Shoulder

| length6 = 2:27

| title7 = Fragment I

| length7 = 1:24

| title8 = By the Roes, and by the Hinds of the Field

| length8 = 2:38

| title9 = The Radiant City

| length9 = 3:31

| title10 = Fragment II

| length10 = 2:12

| title11 = The Burning Mountain

| length11 = 2:45

| title12 = De Luce et Umbra

| length12 = 2:28

| title13 = Good Morning, Midnight

| length13 = 3:17

| title14 = Good Night, Day

| length14 = 3:57

| title15 = Orphic Hymn

| length15 = 3:27

| total_length = 46:26

}}

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes.{{Cite AV media notes |author=Jóhann Jóhannsson |date=2016 |title=Orphée |type=CD booklet |publisher=Deutsche Grammophon}}

Musicians

Jóhann Jóhannsson – piano, electronics, pipe organ, electric organ, arrangement, orchestration, production, recording
Hildur Guðnadóttir – cello

American Contemporary Music Ensemble

Yuki Numata Resnick – violin
Caleb Burhans – violin
Ben Russell – viola
Clarice Jensen – cello

Air Lyndhurst String Orchestra

Anthony Weeden – conducting, additional orchestration

Theatre of Voices

Paul Hillier – conducting
Else Torp – soprano vocals
Signe Asmussen – mezzo-soprano vocals
Ellen Marie Brink Christensen – mezzo-soprano vocals
Elenor Wiman – mezzo-soprano vocals
Kristin Mulders – mezzo-soprano vocals
Chris Watson – tenor vocals
Paul Bentley-Angell – tenor vocals
Jakob Bloch Jespersen – bass-baritone vocals
Jakob Soelberg – bass-baritone vocals

Technical personnel

Geoff Foster – recording
Preben Iwan – recording
Ívar Ragnarsson – recording
Mette Due – recording
Francesco Donadello – recording, mixing
Calyx Mastering – mastering
Owen Roberts – additional orchestration
Christian Badzura – executive production
Leonie Petersen – project management
Burkhard Bartsch – project management
Jens Schünemeyer – booklet editing
Anders Ladegaard – artwork
Jónatan Grétarsson – photography

Charts

= Weekly charts =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Chart performance for Orphée ! scope="col" \| Chart (2016) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
scope="row" \| UK Classical Artist Albums (OCC){{Cite web \|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/classical-artist-albums-chart/20160923/147/ \|title=Official Classical Artist Albums Chart on 23/9/2016 \|website=Official Charts Company \|access-date=11 February 2025}} \| 4
{{album chart\|BillboardClassical\|6\|artist=Johann Johannsson\|rowheader=true\|access-date=11 February 2025\|refname=billboard}}

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for Orphée

! scope="col" | Chart (2016)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

scope="row" | UK Classical Artist Albums (OCC){{Cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/classical-artist-albums-chart/20160923/147/ |title=Official Classical Artist Albums Chart on 23/9/2016 |website=Official Charts Company |access-date=11 February 2025}}

| 4

{{album chart|BillboardClassical|6|artist=Johann Johannsson|rowheader=true|access-date=11 February 2025|refname=billboard}}

= Year-end charts =

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" \|+ Chart performance for Orphée ! scope="col" \| Chart (2016) ! scope="col" \| Peak position
scope="row" \| Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi){{Cite web \|url=https://plotutidindi.is/arslistar/tonlistinn-plotur-2016/ \|title=Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2016 \|publisher=Plötutíóindi \|language=is \|access-date=1 April 2022}} \| 68

class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"

|+ Chart performance for Orphée

! scope="col" | Chart (2016)

! scope="col" | Peak
position

scope="row" | Icelandic Albums (Plötutíóindi){{Cite web |url=https://plotutidindi.is/arslistar/tonlistinn-plotur-2016/ |title=Tónlistinn – Plötur – 2016 |publisher=Plötutíóindi |language=is |access-date=1 April 2022}}

| 68