★ ★ ★ ★ "Kender man ikke i forvejen til Langgaards stil, er denne CD en glimrende introduktion til manden, der i sin levetid kom til at stå i skyggen af Carl Nielsen" Peter Dürrfeld, Kristeligt Dagblad ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ "Enhver komponist skulle have et lille portræt af Langgaard hængende på væggen, som en påmindelse om ikke at være bange for at gå sin egen vej" Tobias Lund, Sydsvenskan Rued Langgaard’s (1893-1952) inner division can be experienced at its extreme in the chamber music written between 1913 and 1924, in which the secure world of his youth is undercut by a dark musical understream. This is most apparent in the work for piano, Music of the Abyss, which is presented here in a transcription for chamber ensemble by Allan Gravgaard Madsen (born 1984) of which this is the first recording. This meeting between Langgaard and Gravgaard brings to a climax the work’s view of modern man’s destructive strength in a crazy ride towards the abyss. 1 Septet BVN 95 (1915) 14:15 2 Augustinusiana (En musikalsk spøg / A musical joke) BVN 63 (1914) 4:51 3-4 I blomstringstiden (In the flowering time), BVN 136 (1917) I. Allegretto 6:19 II. Animato giocoso 3:36 5 Scherzo over motiverne C A og “Ach, du lieber Augustin” BVN 62 (1913) 4:59 6-9 Lenaustemninger (Lenau moods) BVN 138 (1917) I. Roligt 5:15 II. Ikke hurtigt 3:30 III. Hurtigt 1:12 IV. Temmelig langsomt 4:45 10 Humoreske (Humoresque) BVN 176 (1922-23) 13:12 11-12 Afgrundsmusik (En sonate) (Music of the Abyss (A sonata)) BVN 169 (1921-24) I. Inflessibile mostruoso - Maestoso rigoglioso 7:37 II. Frenetico, quasi rondo 6:07