The Piano Concerto / Where the Bee Dances cover

The Piano Concerto / Where the Bee Dances

Michael Nyman · 1998

47 min · 5 tracks · opera

Elevation

Our rating, out of 100 — and why.

AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.

Instrumental
75 /100
Treeline
Higher than 73% of albums we've rated

The recurring figures and four-part piano-concerto arc give the program a clear shape, while its restrained variations keep the writing rewarding without making it singular.

What we noticed

  • The opening oboe concerto gives way to a four-movement piano concerto; its movements are titled as successive places, from the beach to the release.
  • Both works build extended passages from repeating rhythmic figures, with the solo lines set against a persistent orchestral pulse.
  • The piano concerto occupies the album's second half, so the shorter oboe work acts as a compact prelude rather than a mid-sequence interruption.
Composition 25% of the score
7/10

the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics

Craft 20% of the score
7/10

production, performance, arrangement

Durability 25% of the score
7/10

whether it rewards returning to it

Distinctiveness 18% of the score
7/10

whether it sounds like itself

Sequencing 12% of the score
7/10

running order, pacing, length

Influence 4/10

Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.

Tracklist

Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.

  • 1 Where the Bee Dances 16:46
  • 2 The Piano Concerto: I. The Beach 11:24
  • 3 The Piano Concerto: II. The Woods 6:20
  • 4 The Piano Concerto: III. The Hut 8:01
  • 5 The Piano Concerto: IV. The Release 4:36

Reference: MusicBrainz