Axel Borup- J�rgensen (1924-2012) was born in Denmark, but he grew up in Sweden where he was influenced by the incredible scenery and by the gloomy, introverted mood of Swedish poets and composers. The dark, unique tone of the viola fascinated Borup- J�rgensen, and throughout his composing career he utilized this instrument as an opulent resource for expression. The works on this album chronicle the development of Borup- J�rgensen as a composer. His Duo for Violin and Viola Op. 12 is lyrical and accessible, and contrasts Mobiles after Alexander Calder Op. 38 which displays more abstract tonalities. Finally, O Baume Lebens Op. 81 shows intense lyricism and extreme attention to detail.

Classical Music

Classical Music

This album presents Rune Glerup's (b. 1981) String Quartet No. 2, crafted for and dedicated to Quatuor Diotima, alongside his Clarinet Quintet featuring Jonas Frolund. Glerup's quartet, steeped in Beckettian echoes, captures the absurd beauty of life's endless loops, from park strolls to barroom reveries. The Clarinet Quintet, a labyrinth of musical nods - from Boulez to Brahms - fuses past and present in a tribute to the voices that shaped Glerup's own, creating a sound world both familiar and intriguingly new.

Olesen: Piano Works

Vagn Holmboe (1909-96) stands as one of the greatest 20th-century composers of string quartets, with a monumental series of 21 quartets demonstrating his distinctive metamorphosis method. Holmboe's vibrant and organic quartet works are profoundly rooted in a Buddhist inspired perspective on life, an outlook which, though he kept it private, led him to view all manifestations of life as part of a cosmic whole. Equally essential is the influence from folk music. This third volume of the acclaimed Nightingale String Quartet series captures Holmboe at the peak of his creativity, with his musical metamorphosis practice fully flourishing.

GADE, N.: Elverskud / Fruhlings-Phantasie

SCHÜTZ Lukas-Passion. Weihnachtshistorie. Auferstehungshistorie. Die 7 Worte. Johannes-Passion. Matthäus-Passion • Else Torp (sop); Adam Riis, Johann Linderoth, Julian Podger (ten); Jakob Bloch Jespersen (bs); Paul Hillier, cond; Ars Nova Copenhagen • DACAPO 8.204035 (4 CDs: 244:35)


As all four of the discs in this set have been reviewed in these pages before, this notice accordingly provides only a brief summary. J. F. Weber discussed the Lukas-Passion in Fanfare 33:2, the Weihnachtshistorie and Auferstehungshistorie (the Nativity and Resurrection narratives) in 33:5, and the Matthäus-Passion in 35:1, while Ronald E. Grames and I both covered Die sieben Worte and the Johannes-Passion in 34:2. In all instances the reviews were enthusiastic and offered unqualified endorsements of these performances as the recordings of choice for these works; now having the opportunity to hear them all, I heartily re-affirm that collective judgment. Whereas too often the passion settings of Heinrich Schütz, dominated by long passages of unadorned solo recitative, seem relatively dry and come off as the least interesting items in his oeuvre , Hillier and his forces bring them to life with arresting intensity, with the occasional choral passages for the turba having a luminous richness I have never heard in other versions. Jakob Bloch Jespersen is the exemplary reciter of the role of Jesus in each of the three passions, as well as the Herod in the Weihnachtshistorie . For the roles of the evangelists in the passion narratives, Hillier deliberately chose a different tenor to portray each one—Johan Linderoth as Luke, Adam Riis as John, and Julian Podger as Matthew—while Riis is also the Evangelist for the Weihnachtshistorie and Linderoth for the Auferstehungshistorie . All three are likewise able singers, and Else Torp effectively rounds out the list of major soloists as the Angel in the Weihnachtshistorie . Torp, Jespersen, and various ensemble singers assume comprimario roles in the various works; the three passions are sung a cappella , whereas the other three compositions feature supporting instrumentalists of the Concerto Copenhagen and the Sirius Viols, who for their part turn in first-rate playing. Whereas the original CDs sold for full price at about $18 each, this four-disc set retails for only about $28; that is competitive in price and superior in quality to the Brilliant Classics set led by Matteo Messori, which appears to be out of print in any case. The one disadvantage incurred for this discounted price is that the vocal texts must be downloaded from Dacapo’s website, though the enclosed booklet still retains full program notes and detailed specifications for each performance. This set is an essential acquisition for anyone interested in sacred music and the early Baroque; urgently recommended.


FANFARE: James A. Altena

In the veritable musical frenzy that struck Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) near the end of his life, he composed several violin sonatas – a genre he had not paid much attention to since his early days. In this second in a series of three recordings presenting Langgaard’s complete works for violin and piano the award-winning violinist Gunvor Sihm and the Langgaard expert Berit Johansen Tange perform the Violin Sonata No. 1, composed in the course of four days in mid-June – when Langgaard was vacationing in Southern Sweden, and Langgaard’s last work for violin, the Andante religioso, in addition to the Sunday Sonata, one of Langgaard’s most bizarre and unpredictable compositions.

Composed in 1945, Paul von Klenau’s Ninth Symphony is his last major work. The eight movement piece is an excellent fusion of a Requiem with Latin text, along with a traditional symphony for orchestra, four soloists, and choir. The piece lay virtually unknown for half a century until it was discovered in 2001. This is the world premiere recording of this work.

The second Symphony of the prize-winning Faroese composer Sunleif Rasmussen (b. 1961) is composed as a life cycle based on the Old Norse myth of the tree of life, Yggdrasil, and carries the title 'The Earth Anew'. Inspired by natural phenomena and Faroese melodies, Rasmussen is a great believer in a shared Nordic identity, and this world premiere recording witnesses his strong artistic partnership with Finnish conductor John Storgårds and the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. World renowned vocalists Cyndia Sieden and Bo Skovhus carry the feature roles in this work.

Lars Moller leads a line-up of Danish and Indian jazz musicians, who merge two worlds on ‘Glow of Benares’- 25 years ago, Moller studied jazz in New York before going to India to study their traditional instruments and the raga. This release is a follow up to what is considered the climax so far in Moller’s career as a jazz composer, “ReWrite of Spring” (2015), which was a large-scale reworking of Stravinsky’s iconic ‘Le Sacre du printemps.” All About Jazz wrote “Ambitious project, brilliantly conceived,” while Downbeat Magazine wrote: “A soaring, sprawling conception, combining exquisite detail with monumental vision.” This colorful and dramatic album of compositions which combine Indian melodic ragas and rhythms with the orchestral formats of jazz and western music is expected to be just as well received.

One of the greatest partnerships in music is between Swedish conductor Herbert Blomstedt and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. This relationship is now in its seventh decade. This DVD release celebrates Herbert Blomstedt and his relationship with the orchestra, performing the symphonic works of Franz Schubert and Anton Bruckner. This release is in honor of Blomstedt’s recent reception of the Leonie Sonnings Music Prize. Included in this DVD is an 80-minute interview with Blomstedt, himself.

Video Format: DVD 9 / NTSC / 16:9
Sound Format: Stereo, Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Region Code: 0 (All)

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REVIEW:

The present DVD is taken from a 2007 concert in Roskilde Cathedral at the time of Blomstedt's 80th birthday, and featured Bruckner’s Seventh Symphony, his unhurried approach allowing the music ample time to savour the warmth of the cathedral acoustic. It would appear that the filming was limited to three cameras, so that for much of the time we watch Blomstedt demonstrating how economic gestures can draw so much from an orchestra. It equally shows how to achieve a seamless flow through these long movements, changes of tempo established in body gestures before they occur. The orchestra, with a robust brass sound and mellifluous woodwind, were in fine form, though sadly the microphone set to capture the timpani does not seem to have been working, so that his contribution is visual rather than audible. The unusual element in the release is an apparent Danish belief that the symphony we have long know as Schubert’s Eighth—the ‘Unfinished’—was, in fact, his Seventh. Blomsted’s interpretation, as the opening work of the concert, is most welcome in his spacious reading. There is a brief interview with him prior to the concert as an added bonus track.

– David's Review Corner (David Denton)

This is the first complete collection of Carl Nielsen’s masterly chamber works available on CD. Music in which the Danish national composer, with his spontaneous and imaginative works, presents himself as a renewer of the classical tradition. Here all the string quartets, violin sonatas and wind works appear in new, definitive recordings by top young Danish musicians. The piano works are played in unique fashion by Herman D. Koppel, who as a young man was priviliged to play them all to the composer himself.

This is an important release, containing magnificent performances of some major works.

–ClassicsToday.com


"The chamber music of the Danish composer Carl Nielsen, composed in the late 19th and early 20th century, has been enjoying a renaissance recently. The superb Danish String Quartet offers passionate, elegantly rendered interpretations of its compatriot’s lyrical, characterful quartets. The six-disc set also features the genial Piano Trio in G, as well as works for wind; piano and violin sonatas; and pieces for solo violin and solo piano." – Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times

This DVD presents a spectacular new production of Carl Nielsen's dramatic debut opera, Saul & David from 1901 - a production marking the Royal Danish Opera’s celebration of the composer's 150th anniversary in 2015.

King Saul, bitterly jealous of young David, who won the favour of the people by defeating the giant Goliath, is staged in a highly original fashion by acclaimed English director and Nielsen enthusiast David Pountney, who updates the Biblical story to our own time, lending it psychological and political undertones.

The performance is conducted by Nielsen expert Michael Schønwandt and presents an array of Denmark's leading singers with Johan Reuter in the demanding role of King Saul, Niels-Jørgen Riis as David and Ann Petersen as his beloved Mikal.

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REVIEW:

A riveting performance by Johan Reuter in both voice and acted intensity. Pountney's direction and the conducting of Michael Schonwandt help make much of characters who might easily remain sinecures. Orchestra and conductor unroll their home composer's score with richness and dexterity. Hugely recommended.

– Gramophone