MORTEN ZEUTHEN
L'Homme Armé - Works for Solo Cello
Morten Zeuthen, cello

Hans Abrahamsen, composer
Vagn Holmboe, composer
Svend Nielsen, composer
Per Nørgård, composer
Andy Pape, composer
Karl Aage Rasmussen, composer
Niels Rosing-Schow, composer
Poul Ruders, composer

About
The title of the well known 15th-century song L’Homme Armé means “The Armed Man”. On Dacapo’s new CD release it also means that Morten Zeuthen is equipped with his faithful squire, the cello – and nothing else.

For Zeuthen, solo performance has been an important part of his whole career since his debut until today. The focus on Dacapo’s new CD is Poul Ruders’ virtuoso variation work L’Homme Armé, which was composed for Zeuthen’s debut concert in 1976. The nine solo variations are based on the well known 15th-century song with the apt name, and among other things require the soloist to whistle and hum in the course of the performance.

The rest of Dacapo’s CD is unified musically by the Siciliano rhythm, which Morten Zeuthen has used as a point of departure for a number of small commissioned works by the most prominent Danish composers of the day. We hear four living composers’ versions of a modern solo Siciliano, rounded off by three solo sonatas by Hans Abrahamsen, Per Nørgård and finally Vagn Holmboe.

Reviews
There's great music awaiting your discovery here, as well as a fabulous cellist. 10/10 (Classics Today)

En rigtig fin cd for elskere af god cello og ny dansk musik!
(Dansk Musik Tidsskrift)

...her modelleres og modificeres meningsfuldt og sammenhængsskabende, ofte med et skarpt blik for det dramatiske potentiale. Og så er der i øvrigt tale om rigtig smukt cellospil med stort teknisk overskud
(Politiken)

Zeuthen demonstrerer her (igen), hvorfor han regnes blandt de ypperste cellister herhjemme
(Musikeren)

Excellent sound and performances
(Nordic Sound)
Credits
Recorded in Store Heddinge Church on 23 April 2003, 11 and 26 January and 1 February 2004

Recording producer: Jesper Jørgensen
Sound engineer: Jesper Jørgensen
Cover image: Denise Burt
Graphic design: www.elevator-design.dk

Publisher: Edition Wilhelm Hansen AS (www.ewh.dk)

Dacapo Records acknowledges, with gratitude, the financial support of Solistforeningen af 1921 and the Danish Musicians’ Union