Released this month by OUR Recordings, The Forgotten Legacy brings long lost works by Ole Schmidt to the fore.
Ole Schmidt (1928–2010) was an important figure in European musical life both as a conductor, composer and musician. Schmidt composed more than 200 works across several genres, including concertos, chamber music, ballet, opera, and film music. In 2007, the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra recorded Ole Schmidt: Concertos which was nominated for a Grammy Award. As a conductor, Schmidt enjoyed a significant international career, probably best known for his pioneering 1974-recordings of Carl Nielsen’s six symphonies with the London Symphony Orchestra.
Known as an energetic and uncompromising artist, Schmidt often combined classical form with influences from jazz culture. His three-movement Concerto for Guitar and Chamber Orchestra is a brilliant example of his innovative approach to composition. In the final Toccata, the soloist "switches to a Gibson electric guitar, stands up, and drives a persistent rhythmic energy forward, which is gradually varied and intensified."
Schmidt conducted the world premiere of his concerto in 1976 with Zealand Symphony Orchestra and Ingolf Olsen as soloist. It was only performed once and never recorded until the Danish guitarist Jesper Sivebæk decided to have a closer at the largely forgotten piece. He writes:
A couple of years ago I rediscovered the score, studied it closely, and became genuinely excited and inspired. We do not have many Danish guitar concertos, and I really wanted to immerse myself in the music and bring the guitar part to life, to bring the concerto into the light.
The concerto was finally revived in Copenhagen last year with the Royal Danish Academy of Music Chamber Orchestra, conductor Max Artved and soloist Jesper Sivebæk. With The Forgotten Legacy, the concerto is now recorded, 50 years after its creation.
Read more about the new album release
