Dacapo Records, the self-described “Danish National label,” was founded in 1989 to promote the classical music of Denmark. Danish music composed over a period of a thousand years forms the core of the Dacapo discography. This week on “The Lost Chord,” I hope you’ll “Dane” to join me for representative works by Emil Reesen and Asger Hamerik.
Reesen made his mark in ballet, opera, and film score. He was also a concert pianist, who studied with Siegfried Langgaard, a pupil of Franz Liszt. In 1927, he was appointed conductor of the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra. In 1931, he also began work as a ballet conductor at the Royal Danish Theatre. Later in life, he conducted the Vienna Symphony and made recordings with the Berlin Philharmonic.
Reesen is probably best-known for his operetta “Farinelli.” We’ll hear his 1928 “Variations on a Theme by Franz Schubert” (only a few days after Schubert’s birthday anniversary on January 31st).
Asger Hamerik studied at home with J.P.E. Hartmann and Niels Wilhelm Gade, in Berlin with Hans von Bulow, and in Paris with Hector Berlioz. Berlioz would remain a lasting influence, as would Dukas and Franck.
Hamerik went on to serve as director of the Peabody Institute in Baltimore for over a quarter century (1871-98). Many of his large-scale orchestral works were first performed by the Peabody orchestra.
He returned to Denmark in 1900. In his lifetime, he was considered the best-known Danish composer after Gade. (Things changed in a hurry with the rise of Carl Nielsen.)
We’ll hear his final symphony, the Symphony No. 7 – the “Choral” Symphony – from 1897, a work that drew comparisons to the works of Mahler for its sheer size. Its first performance in Baltimore employed hundreds of musicians.
I hope you’ll join me, as Danish music makes its mark this week, on “Denmarketing” – recordings from the Dacapo Records catalogue – on “The Lost Chord,” now in syndication on KWAX, the radio station of the University of Oregon!
Remember, KWAX is on the West Coast, so there’s a three-hour difference for those of you listening in the East. Here are the respective air-times for all three of my recorded shows (with East Coast conversions in parentheses):
PICTURE PERFECT, the movie music show – Friday on KWAX at 5:00 PM PACIFIC TIME (8:00 PM EST)
SWEETNESS AND LIGHT, the light music program – ALL NEW! – Saturday on KWAX at 8:00 AM PACIFIC TIME (11:00 AM EST)
THE LOST CHORD, unusual and neglected rep – Saturday on KWAX at 4:00 PM PACIFIC TIME (7:00 PM EST)
Stream all three, at the times indicated, by following the link!
BONUS: Emil Reesen conducts the “Dance of the Cockerels” from Nielsen’s “Maskarade”
