Jens Albinus, vocal
Ars Nova Copenhagen
Inger Dam-Jensen, soprano
Helene Gjerris, soprano
Gert Henning-Jensen, tenor
Bo Kristian Jensen, tenor
Ylva Kihlberg, mezzo-soprano
Sun & Moon
Danish National Childrens Choir
Danish National Girls’ Choir
Danish National Symphony Orchestra
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor
August 2006
Dacapo
Nørgård: The Will-o'-the-Wisps Go to Town; Sørensen: The Little Mermaid
When the bicentenary of the birth of the Danish fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen was celebrated in 2005, the and its chief conductor were at the forefront with a magnificent musical celebration. This CD release testifies to the meeting between Andersen’s immortal storytelling art and two leading Danish composers of our time, (b. 1932) and (b. 1958), who interpret the writer in very different ways in two works, each originating in one of Andersen’s tales.
Tracklisting
PER NØRGÅRD: The Will-o’-the-Wisps Go to Town (2003-04)
Dramatic fairytale cantata after Hans Christian Andersen with song texts in collaboration with Suzanne Brøgger
1. Prologue 5:16
2. Scene 1: Manden som vidste eventyr 5:31
3. Scene 2: Fairy Tale Hunt & Twilight Hour 3:24
4. Scene 3: The Woman Who Peered in – Upstairs 4:53
5. Scene 4: An Ominous Invitation 2:40
6. Scene 5: A Break-in from Reality 0:56
7. Scene 6: The Marsh Witch’s Account 3:07
8. Scene 7: When the Moon Boded Ill 2:13
9. Scene 8: Here They Are now 6:06
10. Scene 9: Moral (not!) 0:34
11. Scene 10: Report from a Fairy-tale Land 1:43
12. Epilogue 3:26
BENT SØRENSEN: The Little Mermaid (2004-05)
for soprano solo, tenor solo, girls’ choir and orchestra
13. The Storm 7:48
14. The Silence 9:06
15. The Celebration 9:52
Reviews
P2 Prize – DMA Classical 2007 – Vocal Release of the Year
“Innovative and imaginative” – Limelight Magazine
“en spændende tilgængeligt ny kompositionsmusik med eventyret i sig.” – Morgenavisen Jyllands-Posten
“Nørgårds bidrag er yderst indtagende og lyrisk funderet, specielt i prolog og epilog. Og så fungerer det fint med Jens Albinius recitation undervejs. Bent Sørensens musik til den lille havfrue er mere dramatisk i sit udtryk, og understøtter fint tekstforlægget og det mystiske univers under overfladen.” – Musiken
“A marvellous live performance, with Inger Dam-Jensen and Gert Henning-Jensen the exemplary soloists, splendidly recorded.” – Gramophone Magazine
“Sjældent hører man så overbevisende musikalske tydninger af tekster. Disse fortællinger bliver man ikke færdig med i hast. Også udførelse og indspilning er på højt niveau.” – Dansk Musik Tidsskrift
“Begge nutidige komponisters værker rummer en uventet nationalromantisk stemning, så…man ikke kan undgå at høre mindelser om Carl Nielsens ‘Fynsk Forår’ hos Nørgård og rytmen fra ‘På Sjølunds fagre sletter’ i ‘Den lille Havfrue’.” – Klassisk *****
“To af H.C.Andernsen-årets vægtigste musikalske frugter er i glimrende opførelse samlet på denne skive.” – Politiken *****
“…hiermit gelingt dem Label Dacapo ein weiterer guter Wurf in der Reihe der Andersen-Vertonungen. Und die beiden dänischen Komponisten Per Nørgård und Bent Sørensen zeigen mit ihren weder intellektuelle Überdrehtheit und seichtes Gedudel für Kinder streifenden Werken bedeutende Kompositionen gelungen sind. Einfach gut, diese Dänen.” – Klassik
“These are delightful works, well-written and extremely well played by the large force under the direction of Thomas Dausgaard.” – Sequenza 21