As broad-ranging and eclectic as its repertoire may be, the Janoska Ensemble stands for a very special sound that offers audiences an intimate combination of sensuality and sophistication, airiness and precision. This miracle is based on the fact that the interpretations of the Bratislava-born brothers Ondrej, František and Roman Janoska, who have been making music together since childhood, also mysteriously evoke a kind of phylogenetic echo of the joys, sorrows and ecstasies of preceding generations. As a double bass player, Julius Darvas, who married into the dynasty, provides the very special zest that makes our trademark family sound even more appealing. Their sensuous ensemble sound is characterised by the way as a group they constantly oscillate between exploring their origins and curiosity about the unheard and unplayed.

When looking for a basic idea for their third album, the ensemble started from their own strength in improvising. The musicians asked themselves who the greatest improvisers in classical music were and came up with the names Bach, Beethoven and Brahms, whom they view as the main role models for the ensemble, yes, even their patron saints. Then they looked a little into the modern age, and immediately took Bernstein, Bartók and Brubeck on board. Then it was time for the test. With the Janoska Ensemble, playful gestures are also the result of profound reflection and concentrated improvisation by the four musicians.

What makes the new recordings of the Janoska Ensemble so special? Their sensitivity to subcutaneous atmospheres, the ability to transcend conventional articulatory conciseness and, last but not least, the way they deliberately turn a blind eye to genres and styles. No matter what this quartet plays, it all comes together to create the popular Janoska aesthetic. It strikes a fine balance between the Apollonian and Dionysian – reason and passion. Progress may occasionally gallop in the wrong direction, but with The Big B’s the Janoska Ensemble presents music that is deeply human. These may be strange times, but they are still beautiful. Not least thanks to this wonderfully hybrid music, which so perfectly expresses the outlook of the Janoska Ensemble that brings people together.