Joanna Freszel, this project’s initiator and manager, set out with this album to present the potential and creativity of young Polish composers. In addition to work by Polish composers, this album is supplemented with texts either written by Polish poets such as Mariusz Jagiello and Maja Baczynska or a literary canon. Each of these compositions was written for various vocal or instrumental sets, from piano to sextet, to six vocalists. Of this project, Freszel writes, “I particularly wanted to break a stereotypical thinking about contemporary music as hermetic and overwhelmed by incomprehensible elements. I wished to show that music can be dreamlike, intriguing, nostalgic, and also witty.”

Danish composer John Frandsen (b. 1956) is well known for his interpretation of texts. This new release collects some of his most evocative solo song cycles with a myriad of poems set to this music. Four of Scandinavia’s most promising young vocalists are featured on this album, including Lise Davidsen and the composer’s own son, Morten Grove Frandsen.

Unfortunately, the works of Johann Heinrich Rolle are somewhat obscure, and rarely recorded. This new release is the premiere recording of Rolle’s St. Matthew Passion. Composed in 1748, the orchestration is set to text of Martin Luther’s Gospel of St. Matthew translation. The work is performed here by Ensemble Triagonale.

Known for his outstanding orchestral works, Jon Leifs draws inspiration from the naturally occurring phenomena of his native Iceland. This disc contains all thirty-two of the composer’s solo songs. Tenor Finnur Bjarnason is joined by pianist Orn Magnusson for this album.