Argentine bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi, Latvian violinist Gidon Kremer and Ukrainian vibraphonist Andrei Pushkarev comprise a most-unexpected cast for ECM’s latest album devoted to Giya Kancheli. Recorded “in secret” as a surprise 75th birthday present for the great Georgian composer, this extremely beautiful album of gently exhaling melody features duo and trio interpretations of themes from Kancheli’s early music for stage and screen.

When embarking on his career, Kancheli also composed much incidental music for the theatre and the cinema. The film music in particular was very widely heard, all across the former Soviet Union, and many of the themes here (there are 20 on the album) enjoyed great popularity. In the West, however, it has remained largely unknown.

In 2009 Kancheli published a songbook featuring piano versions of the themes with a preface welcoming an improvisational approach to the material. With this in mind, ECM decided to invite Dino Saluzzi to play the themes in his personal and highly creative way.

Simultaneously Gidon Kremer, an old friend and champion of Kancheli’s music, expressed an interest in doing something special for Giya’s birthday. With both Kremer and Saluzzi involved, the project took on new dimensions. Finding links between the worlds of Kancheli, Kremer and Saluzzi is a task adroitly handled by Pushkarev. The vibraphonist prepared arrangements which were realized with Kremer in Riga, and he also worked in Oslo with Saluzzi, intuitively supporting Dino’s very relaxed approach.

The entire album feels like an audio-movie, a journey, and it’s certain to appeal to a very wide audience. Liner notes by the composer’s son, Sandro Kancheli, tell the story of the collaboration and provide background on the music.