We are thrilled to share two exciting recordings featuring Danish works from the Wise Music catalogue: Danish Resonances by Dacapo Records and Transfigurations by OUR Recordings.
Danish Resonances
Portuguese accordionist José Valente paints a musical picture of the rich Danish accordion tradition with Danish Resonances featuring Canzone by Hans Abrahamsen and Anatomic Safari by Per Nørgård, as well as world premiere recordings of Drowning Preludes by Matias Vestergård and Spiral Ladder by Niels Rosing-Schow. The album is divided into four chapters, each of which portrays two different generations of Danish composers.
Transfigurations
Transfigurations features three concertos for recorder, positive organ and harpsichord composed by Poul Ruders. The title work Transfigurations is a concerto in two movements, in which the beginning of each movement is almost identical before the development then takes different directions.
In his programme note, Poul Ruders writes:
Leaving aside the spiritual opaqueness (or in plain English: mumbo-jumbo) often involved when defining the word Transfiguration, we are left with a simple explanation: a figure or character in transit, undergoing several changes en route.
The second concerto, A Movable Concerto, is described by the composer as follows: ‘If, when listening to this piece, you seem to detect a vague whiff of Georg Friedrich Handel wafting through the air, you're not mistaken’. The connection to the past continues into the next, Concerto for Harpsichord and Symphony Orchestra, by placing the Baroque instrument at the forefront of the modern symphony orchestra.
Transfigurations features Kremerata Baltica and Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Andris Veismanis and Leif Segerstam, with Michala Petri (recorder), Peter Navarro-Alonso (positive organ) and Mahan Esfahani (harpsichord) as soloists.
Details
Danish Resonances
Dacapo Records, 2026
José Valente, accordion
Produced by Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir
More info here
Transfigurations
OUR Recordings, 2026
Kremerata Baltica; Aarhus Symphony Orchestra; Andris Veismanis, conductor; Leif Segerstam, conductor; Michala Petri, recorder; Peter Navarro-Alonso, positive organ; Mahan Esfahani, harpsichord.
Produced by Vilius Keras and Aleksandra Kerienė
More info here
