Benny Andersson of ABBA releases solo piano album

The songwriter and ABBA co-founder plays 21 tracks on this solo piano album for Deutsche Grammophon

Benny Andersson ‘Piano’

Universal Music Group (UMG) today announced a brand-new album of solo piano music from legendary Swedish composer and ABBA co-founder Benny Andersson. The album titled simply ‘Piano’ will be released on 29 September, 2017 through iconic classical music label Deutsche Grammophon.

‘Piano’ takes listeners on a 21-track journey through his acclaimed and celebrated career as songs from ABBA, his musicals and other solo-compositions are re-interpreted as you have never heard them before, performed unaccompanied by just Benny himself, on his trusted grand piano. The album was recorded with Linn Fijal, engineer and studio manager at his own RMV Studios, on the island of Skeppsholmen, in the heart of his hometown Stockholm.

Watch the video trailer here:

These are tender, touching and emotional arrangements, highlighting the theatrical, as well as classical-like qualities, both in writing and performance of music that has touched millions around the world since ABBA first came together in 1972. The music on this album reinforces Benny’s profound gift for melody, a gift shared with many great classical composer-pianists throughout history, that have also inspired him throughout his life and career.

Speaking on the genesis of the album, Benny Andersson said: ‘In the process of recording this album, I have come to realise that the pieces I have chosen to play are an integral part of me. In endeavouring to reach for some core within them, I have found that the more I strip away the clothing, the closer I feel to the music, regardless of whether it was created last year or 40 years ago. In a strange way, I feel like I am playing my memoirs.’

‘It was very different to how I’ve made records in the past, and that was part of the joyfulness of it all,’ he adds, ‘Even without the bass, drums, guitars, strings and vocals on these songs, I think there is still substance in all of them. That was very pleasing to realise.’

The first track to be released from the album, a new version of ABBA classic ‘Thank You For The Music’ is available immediately to download and via streaming services.

‘Piano’ is released on Deutsche Grammophon on September 29, available to order here.

We at Pianist magazine also love the music of ABBA. So much so that we printed the score Thank You For The Music inside issue 94. You can still get hold of the digital issue of the magazine.