Rued Langgaard: The Early Recordings 1963-1974 - Piano, Organ and Vocal Music. © 2025 Danacord Records

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Hidden Byways

GERALD FENECH recommends, for historical reasons, recordings of piano, organ and vocal music by Danish composer Rued Langgaard

'... hugely stimulating and profound.'

 

This utterly historic issue, which encapsulates early recordings by Danish composer Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) dating from 1963 to 1974, features a sizeable number of Langgaard pieces for piano, organ and voice. In 1970 Noël Lee recorded the first LP of piano music by this composer. This is its first CD reissue.

Listen — Rued Langgaard: Flammekamrene
(DACOCD 977 CD1 track 5, 5:26-6:18) ℗ 2025 Danacord Records :

Organist Jørgen Ernst Hansen can be heard on Langgaard's Ribe Cathedral organ (1970).

Listen — Rued Langgaard: Høstpræludium
(DACOCD 977 CD1 track 12, 0:37-1:29) ℗ 2025 Danacord Records :

In the 1960s Royal Theatre soloist Bonna Søndberg recorded several songs and major vocal works for Danmarks Radio, a selection of which are released here for the first time. This two CD album contains several pieces from the period cited above and, in all truth, I found this music hugely stimulating and profound.

Listen — Rued Langgaard: Sensommer
(DACOCD 977 CD2 track 16, 0:00-0:59) ℗ 2025 Danacord Records :

This does not mean that the path to discovery is easy to trek. On the contrary, this is music that needs repeated and attentive listening. It is only after this process that it starts to yield its surprising secrets and deft compositional craftsmanship.

Not the best of sonics, true, but the historical value of these recordings is enough reason for me to recommend this album to all and sundry, particularly those who love to experiment with the hidden byways of twentieth century European music.

Copyright © 2 June 2025 Gerald Fenech,
Gzira, Malta

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The background image on this page has been derived from a 2019 photo by Steffen Muldbjerg of Møllestien in Aarhus, Denmark.

 

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