HANS ABRAHAMSEN
Orchestral Works
Anne Marie Fjord Abildskov, piano

Hans Abrahamsen, composer

BIT20 Ensemble
Danish National Symphony Orchestra / DR
Thomas Dausgaard, conductor
Ilan Volkov, conductor

About
The music of Hans Abrahamsen is characterized by its fundamental gentleness, its rarity and its delicate, almost romantic sound.. Abrahamsen is well known as one of the quietest and least productive composers of his generation, yet his status as an absolutely central figure in contemporary Danish music is indubitable.

Hans Abrahamsen had his definitive international breakthrough as a very young composer when he was honoured with a commission from the Berlin Philharmonic. He created the magnificent orchestral piece Nacht und Trompeten – after which he remained conspicuously quiet for more than twenty years. Now Hans Abrahamsen has broken his artistic silence in earnest, and Dacapo Records is proud to be able to present the premiere recording of his most important orchestral works by the Danish National Symphony Orchestra/DR and its chief conductor Thomas Dausgaard.

With this CD release Dacapo gathers up the strands of Hans Abrahamsen's concentrated output, and presents his breakthrough work framed by an early and a recent work on the same large scale: the youthful work Stratifications and the Piano Concerto from 2000, dedicated to and played by Hans Abrahamsen's wife, Anne Marie Abildskov, accompanied by the Norwegian BIT20 Ensemble.

The CD is rounded off by four smaller pieces for chamber orchestra in which Hans Abrahamsen engages in a dialogue with the music of other composers. "For me, reworkings like this are a dialogue through which I find myself in aspects of another composer's music," Hans Abrahamsen has explained. In these cases J.S. Bach, Arnold Schoenberg, Poul Ruders and Per Norgård are filtered through Abrahamsen's musical consciousness with BIT20 Ensemble as the interpreter.

Dacapo's CD of Hans Abrahamsen's orchestral works has been produced in collaboration with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation DR.
Hans Abrahamsen/Carl Nielsen: Three Piano Pieces Op. 59
Recomposed for 10 instruments (1990)

Reviews
As fine an introduction to this composer’s personal sound world as might be desired. Excellent performances caught in fine recording.
(MusicWeb International)

A rounded portrait of this leading Danish composer
(The Sunday Times)

The Bergen-based BIT20 Ensemble and Ilan Volkov give superb performances, so too the Danish Radio Symphony; and there’s no doubt as to the superb recording quality.
(The Classical Source)

Uhyre virkningsfuldt
(Politiken)

Et forunderligt mikrokosmos
(Klassisk Musik)

En længe savnet plade
(Berlingske Tidende)

excellent recording...Abrahamsen´s music is a special discovery
(What´s on in London)

Credits
Recorded at the Danish Radio Concert Hall on 17-18 March 2000 and at NRK AS Grieghallen and NRK Minde in May 2002

Recording producers: Claus Due and Arild Erikstad
Editors: Chris Hazell and Preben Iwan
Sound and editing engineer: J©ªrn Jacobsen
Sound engineers: Gunnar Herleif Nilsen and Haakon Gunby
Balance engineer: Gunnar Herleif Nilsen
Assistant: Haakon Gunby
Mastering: Preben Iwan and Audun Strype (Strype Audio)
Final Mastering: Preben Iwan

Graphic design: Elevator 2004 Dacapo Records
Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen

Dacapo Records acknowledges, with gratitude, the financial support of KODA¡¯s Collective Blank Tape Remuneration
This CD has been recorded in cooperation with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR)