After a decade of chart‑topping recordings, Alice Sara Ott drops her most intimate project yet: “Jóhann Jóhannsson: Piano Works.” The German virtuoso translates 30 of Icelandic composer‑producer Jóhann Jóhannsson’s signature film and album pieces into crystalline piano transcriptions, unveiling a new layer of his haunting beauty. The album arrives in digital download, compact disc, and limited‑edition vinyl, the first time a collection of Jóhannsson’s work will sit on a single instrument.
A Personal Dialogue with a Late Composer
Ott, who never met the late composer, spent months speaking with Jóhannsson’s friends and colleagues to “internalise the musical architecture, shapes and language of Jóhann’s music.” In a press note she said, “It actually felt like a very personal dialogue with him.” The result is a meditative, almost telepathic rendering that highlights the sparse, resonant textures that made Jóhannsson’s scores legendary.
“What’s so incredible about Jóhannsson’s music,” Ott continues, “is how his compositions, originally written for larger ensembles and different instruments, translate so beautifully to the piano. Within this more focused and intimate sound world, the writing reveals hidden nuances and enhances the purity and clarity that are so intrinsic to his music.”
The project is a tribute to a composer whose career, tragically cut short at 48, bridged ambient electronics, classical orchestration, and film scoring. Ott’s playing is described as “ego‑free” and “exquisitely empathic,” a fitting voice for Jóhannsson’s bittersweet, melancholic spirit.
The Icelandic Connection
Ott recorded the entire album on an old upright piano owned by producer and engineer Bergur Þórisson in Reykjavik. The piano’s fragile timbre evokes a “sense of nostalgia, like memories of something that’s gone,” a sentiment that carries through the 30 transcriptions. From the opening suite “Bað – Odi et Amo – Englabörn” (a re‑imagining of the first studio album) to the sublime “Melodia (III)”, listeners are invited to trace the composer’s evolution from early indie experiments to his Oscar‑nominated work for The Theory of Everything.
More Than One Album
In tandem with the full release, Ott has issued two digital EPs:
- “Jóhann Jóhannsson – Film Music” – featuring the most iconic movie scores (e.g., The Theory of Everything, Sicario).
- “Englabörn – Piano Transcriptions” – a focused look at Jóhannsson’s debut studio album, rendered with a singular piano voice.
Both EPs are available on all major streaming platforms, providing listeners with bite‑size explorations before diving into the 60‑minute full album.
Why It Matters
For fans of Jóhannsson’s music, Ott’s album is a pilgrimage: an exploration of how his emotionally charged, genre‑blurring sound can be distilled to the piano’s honest, human voice. For Ott, it’s a continuation of her “Echoes Of Life” narrative—collaborating with architects, visual artists, and designers to bring a composer’s legacy into a new medium. The release further cements her reputation as a “one‑of‑a‑kind” artist who pushes boundaries beyond the concert hall.
“The work of Jóhann Jóhannsson is an invitation to listen deeply,” Ott writes. “By re‑imagining his scores for piano, I hoped to give listeners a fresh, unfiltered way to experience the nuances that made his music unforgettable.”
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Cover Artwork: © 2026 Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, Berlin
