- Orchestra: Odense Symphony Orchestra
- Conductor: Paul Mann
- Composer: Herman D. Koppel
- Audio CD (31 Oct 2005)
- SPARS Code: DDD
- Number of Discs: 1
- Format: CD
- Label: Da Capo
- ASIN: B000BP1EFO
- Other Editions: MP3 Download
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 588,834 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Fine performances of some very rewarding music
10 Nov 2009
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Herman Koppel (1908-98) belongs to the group of composers that included Holmboe, Bentzon and Høffding. Holmboe is the most famous of them, but this Dacapo series of his orchestral music shows that Koppel is at least his equal, even though the disc at hand might not be the place to start exploring his extensive output. Stylistically, one can perhaps imagine a cross between Carl Nielsen and Prokofiev as a point of departure, but the music is slightly more modern in sound (Tubin might be a point of reference as well). The present issue gathers together works spanning the years fom the early 1930s to the 1970s; the earlier works are tonal, but Koppel's style grew increasingly dissonant, although Koppel's adoption of twelve-tone techniques was a remarkably seamless transition - the music continued to be full of life and spirit and sheer enjoyment.
The 17-minute flue concerto is the latest and does, despite the twelve-tone technique, give you much characteristic melodic material - tunes, even; it is a lively, slightly spiky work, but mostly characterized by wit and verve and a sense of enjoyment. The Cello concerto from the 1950s is, however, the highlight on the disc, featuring some really imaginative and memorable thematic material, brilliantly written for both soloist and orchestra. It deserves much more exposure than it has received thus far. The earlier second piano concerto is more of a curate's egg. It relies heavily on ostinatos and rhythmic figures, and is momentous and energetic but the solo part is curiously reticient; it is an interesting work to be sure, but maybe a little overlong and not really immediately attractive - no match for the masterly third (featured on another disc in the series), for instance.
The performances are for the most part really fine; Ulrich Staerk is as convincing as one could conceivably be in the piano concerto and both Rune Most and Michaela Fukacova deliver performances full of spirit. No complaints about the Odense Symphony Orchestra either, who provides detailed and full characterizations under the sure-handed direction of Paul Mann. A very attractive release then, but no match for the release containing the fifth symphony and the third piano concerto, so I urge anyone with an interest in Koppel (or in 20th century music in general) to start there.
The 17-minute flue concerto is the latest and does, despite the twelve-tone technique, give you much characteristic melodic material - tunes, even; it is a lively, slightly spiky work, but mostly characterized by wit and verve and a sense of enjoyment. The Cello concerto from the 1950s is, however, the highlight on the disc, featuring some really imaginative and memorable thematic material, brilliantly written for both soloist and orchestra. It deserves much more exposure than it has received thus far. The earlier second piano concerto is more of a curate's egg. It relies heavily on ostinatos and rhythmic figures, and is momentous and energetic but the solo part is curiously reticient; it is an interesting work to be sure, but maybe a little overlong and not really immediately attractive - no match for the masterly third (featured on another disc in the series), for instance.
The performances are for the most part really fine; Ulrich Staerk is as convincing as one could conceivably be in the piano concerto and both Rune Most and Michaela Fukacova deliver performances full of spirit. No complaints about the Odense Symphony Orchestra either, who provides detailed and full characterizations under the sure-handed direction of Paul Mann. A very attractive release then, but no match for the release containing the fifth symphony and the third piano concerto, so I urge anyone with an interest in Koppel (or in 20th century music in general) to start there.
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