8. Marts 22.00 på DK 4
Inger Dam-Jensen og Morten Ernst Lassen akkompagneret af Ulrich Stærk gæster "Musikalsk Talkshow" lørdag d. 8. marts kl. 22:00.
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Carl Nielsen - Songs
Inger Dam-Jensen and Morten Ernst Lassen records their first cd
The treasury
of Danish song is closely associated with the name of the composer Carl
Nielsen. His folk-like melodies are brilliantly simple and danced their
way into a popular tradition which at the time was being stifled by
romantic Lieder no one could sing along with. This tradition of the
songs called ‘romances’ in Denmark was in fact Carl Nielsen’s starting
point when he wrote his first songs; but he made it highly personal,
and he soon delved to its roots with his love of simplicity. These two
parallel strands – the catchy popular song and the experimental art
song – remained a unique feature throughout his songwriting career.
It is these
two strands hat we can experience on Dacapo’s new release with Carl
Nielsen’s songs: well known and well loved songs side by side with the
more artful type where the texts posed different musical challenges.
There are examples of songs from the first two collections – opus 4 and
6 – to poems by J.P. Jacobsen; mysterious songs where the young
composer’s mercurial temperament shins through, rich in images and
symbols. But as early as Song behind the Plough from the collection
Songs by Ludvig Holstein from 1894, Carl Nielsen points in a new
direction with a melody that is simple and easy to sing along with
right from the start. Carl Nielsen later developed this talent for
popular song in his collaboration with Thomas Laub on the collection En
Snes Danske Viser (20 Danish Songs) in the years 1915-1917, but that it
did not come easy is evident from the story of Underlige Aftenlufte
(Oh, strange evening breezes) – the first draft was quite unsingable
and was rejected on the spot by Laub. The well known melody is included
in this collection, which also features the rare Italian Pastoral Aria
written for the play Cupid and the Poet to celebrate Hans Christian
Andersen’s 125th anniversary in 1925. And the CD ends with a scene from
the opera Masquerade, Henrik og Pernille’s duet Min søde balsambøsse.
This sums it all up – charming and bold.
THE ARTISTS
Recently Inger
Dam-Jensen was named one of the 10 most important sopranos of our
generation worldwide by the British newspaper The Sunday Times. Since
she won the Cardiff Singer of The World competition in 1993 she has
been in great demand on the most important international opera and
concert stages.
Morten Ernst
Lassen has long since had his breakthrough on German concert and opera
stages. For several years Morten Ernst Lassen has been a soloist at the
Deutsche Oper in Berlin, but now he has left the ensemble to tour
freelance. His calendar for the near future includes collaborations
with the greatest conductor and pianist names of our time.
The pianist
Ulrich Stærk is known both as a concert pianist and as a fine
accompanist. He has won the Artist’s Prize of the Danish Music Critics,
but in the other Nordic countries and Germany too he appears regularly
as a soloist in front of recognized orchestras and conductors, as well
as appearing on many CD, radio and TV productions.
The singers
Inger Dam-Jensen and Morten Ernst Lassen are a couple in private life,
but are not keen on appearing as an ‘opera couple’ in the usual sense.
On their first CD together, though, the singing couple do take on a
true-blue opera duet as the last track: Henrik and Pernille’s duet Min
søde balsambøsse ('My sweet little pot of syrup') from Carl Nielsen’s
opera Masquerade. There is no doubt that the three outstanding Danish
artists are on home ground here.
CONTENTS
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Music to five poems by J.P. Jacobsen, op. 4(1891)
1. Sunset
2. In the Seraglio Garden
3. To Asali
4. Irmelin Rose
5. When day has gathered
Songs and Verses, op. 6 (1891)
6. Period piece
7. The Seraphs
8. Silken shoes on a golden last!
9. An age of regret
10. Song from ‘Mogens’
Songs, op. 10 (1894)
11. Apple blossom
12. The Lake of Memory
13. Summer song
14. Song behind the plough
15. This eve
16. Greeting
From A Score of Danish Songs II (1917)
17. Oft am I glad
From Strophic Songs, op. 21, Vol. II (1901-07)
18. Bow down your head, now, flower
Nature Study (1916)
19. The sun shines in my neighbour’s yard
From Twenty Different Melodies (1921)
20. Bright are the leaves in the woods now
From A Score of Danish Songs I (1915)
21. Oh, strange evening breezes
22. Italian pastoral aria op. 54 (1930)
Duet from Masquerade (1904-06)
23. My sweet little pot of syrup
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