ABOUT THIS ALBUM
Catalogue No.: AZ1003
UPC: 3617661107725
Total Playing Time: 62:04
Release Date: October 2024
Composer(s): Lars Aksel Bisgaard
Artist(s): Carl Petersson, Alan Liu, Orquesta Filarmonía Ibérica, Melani Mestre
REVIEW
“Charming Piano Music. The works on this album are all easily accessible and are a mixture of post-minimalism and neo-classicism or neo-romanticism with sometimes slightly eccentric ideas that give the music a personal touch, all with a character of cheerful contentment.”
- Pizzicato
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE
LARS A. BISGAARD
REFLECTIONS
MUSIC FOR PIANO, GUITAR AND STRING ORCHESTRA
Carl Petersson, Alan Liu, Orquesta Filarmonía Ibérica, Melani Mestre
REFLECTIONS showcases the diverse and emotive compositions of Danish composer and educator Lars Aksel Bisgaard (b. 1947), featuring works written between 2014 and 2021. The centrepiece of the album is the Triptych for piano and string orchestra: ‘Walking. Passing. Being.’, which explores themes of time, joy, and existence. Another highlight is the ‘Hassler Variations’: a meditation on mortality presented through a theme and six variations, concluding with a serene choral. The delightful piano and guitar duet, ‘Easy-going variations on an Old Danish Folk tune’ pays homage to composers like Brahms, Beethoven, and Bartok. The four-movement piano sonata in E-flat major and two fugues for solo piano, are Beethoven-style pastiches constructed by using unfinished pieces from Beethoven’s sketchbooks. Swedish pianist Carl Petersson, acclaimed for his ‘excellent pianism’ (Fanfare on ‘Contemporary Danish Piano Music’, GP717), delivers an authoritative performance of these varied and demanding works, many of which he premiered and are dedicated to him. He is joined by rising star guitarist Alan Liu and by the Iberian Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Melani Mestre. This world premiere recording offers listeners a comprehensive introduction to Bisgaard’s compositional output, showcasing his ability to blend historical influences with contemporary expression.
TRIPTYCH, FOR PIANO AND STRING ORCHESTRA (2016-2017) | 12:57 | |
1 | Walking. Hommage à Thoreau (Semplice) | 4:42 |
2 | Passing (Lento ma non troppo) | 4:17 |
3 | Being (Animato) | 5:21 |
HASSLER VARIATIONS, FOR PIANO AND STRING ORCHESTRA (2016-18) | 15:00 | |
4 | Introduction ('The Ocean of Night') | 2:10 |
5 | Variation no. 1 | 2:55 |
6 | Variation no. 2 (Danse macabre) | 1:26 |
7 | Variation no. 3 (Lento) | 0:51 |
8 | Variation no. 4 | 0:39 |
9 | Variation no. 5 | 1:17 |
10 | Variation no. 6 (Adagio) | 1:59 |
11 | Conclusion/Coda | 3:43 |
EASY-GOING VARIATIONS ON AN OLD DANISH FOLK TUNE, FOR GUITAR AND PIANO (2019) | 5:04 | |
12 | Introduction and Theme | 1:01 |
13 | Variation no. 1 (Grazioso) | 0:27 |
14 | Variation no. 2 (Scherzando) | 0:27 |
15 | Variation no. 3 Hommage à Brahms (Slentando) | 0:49 |
16 | Variation no. 4 Hommage à Beethoven (Deciso) | 0:48 |
17 | Variation no. 5 Quasi 'Lullaby' | 1:01 |
18 | Variation no. 6 Hommage à Bartók (Flessibile) | 0:31 |
PIANO SONATA IN E FLAT MAJOR ON FRAGMENTS AND SKETCHES BY LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (2019-20) | 20:08 | |
19 | 1st movement (Allegro) | 7:18 |
20 | 2nd movement. Theme and Variations | 6:33 |
21 | 3rd movement. Menuet and Trio | 1:59 |
22 | 4th movement. Rondo | 4:18 |
3 FUGUES FOR SOLO PIANO | 7:32 | |
23 | Fugue in C Major on a theme by Beethoven (2019) | 2:29 |
24 | Fugue antique in A Minor on a theme by Beethoven (2019) | 2:29 |
25 | Fughetta sopra E - D - B (Moderato) (1993, rev. 2021) | 2:01 |
ABOUT THE ARTIST/S
Born in Lund, Sweden, CARL PETERSSON graduated from the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen with degrees in piano and pedagogy under José Ribera. He studied with renowned pianists Pnina Salzman and Nikolai Petrov at the Tel-Hai International Piano Master Classes. In 2013, Carl earned his PhD from the Music Academy in Kraków, Poland.
Petersson has performed in Canada, the United States, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Israel. He has collaborated with notable conductors, including JoAnn Falletta, Kerry Stratton, and Peter Gülke, and has played with prestigious orchestras such as the Buffalo Philharmonic, the National Czech Radio Orchestra, and Krakow Philharmonic. He is frequently invited to perform at international music festivals, including Music and Beyond in Canada and the International Chopin Festival in Antonin, Poland. Petersson inaugurated the Beethoven Festival in Teplice with a gala concert featuring the Teplice Philharmonic and the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra chorus.
Carl’s discography includes piano concertos by Friedrich von Flotow with the Pilsen Philharmonic Orchestra and Leopold Godowsky’s Java Suite, on the Sterling label. His 2015 recording of Percy Grainger’s edition of Grieg’s Piano Concerto in A minor, coupled with Helge Evju’s Piano Concerto based on sketches by Grieg, received considerable acclaim. Further recordings include world premieres by Danish composers and a popular album of Burgmuller’s Etudes, also on Grand Piano, and two acclaimed recordings with music by Beethoven for Naxos. His latest recording project, Magical Moon, showcases works, by composers past and present, inspired by the moon's mystical, romantic, and serene qualities, released monthly for every full moon.
Lauded by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as a teenager, Canadian guitarist ALAN LIU is the laureate of numerous prestigious competition prizes, including the Guitar Foundation of America International Concert Artist Competition. He has performed with orchestras such as the Juilliard Chamber Orchestra, Victoria Symphony, Prince George Symphony, and Vancouver Symphony, and debuted at Lincoln Center in 2023. Liu is a doctoral candidate at the Yale School of Music and a graduate of the Curtis Institute of Music and the Juilliard School. He plays on Augustine Strings and guitars by Martin Blackwell and Altamira. Liu is an Augustine and Altamira Artist.
Successfully combining the roles of pianist and conductor, MELANI MESTRE (b. 1976) has been hailed as a ‘truly virtuoso musician’ (The Daily Telegraph). Mestre studied at the Conservatorio Municipal de Música de Barcelona, continuing in London with the acclaimed Russian pedagogue Sulamita Aronovsky (piano) and Sir Colin Davis (conducting). He has performed with many of the world’s leading orchestras, including the London Symphony, BBC Symphony, Moscow Philharmonic, Moscow Chamber, Prague Chamber, New York Philharmonic and Warsaw Philharmonic orchestras. Mestre has been chief conductor of the Ukrainian Lviv Symphony Orchestra since 2007, principal conductor of the Orquesta Filarmonía Ibérica, and of the Barcelona Concert Society Orchestra, which he founded. Melani Mestre is a member of the Sociedad Española de Musicología and is a Steinway Artist.
The IBERIAN PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA (ORQUESTA FILARMONÍA IBÉRICA), established in Barcelona in 2013, strives to set a new standard of excellence among emerging European orchestras. Comprised of talented young musicians from top conservatories in Spain and internationally, the ensemble aims to showcase the rich musical heritage of the Iberian Peninsula, with a particular focus on Spanish compositions. Since its founding, Nataliya Borysiuk has served as the orchestra's concertmaster, providing artistic leadership. The orchestra's primary mission is to promote and disseminate Iberian music, honouring the cultural legacy of the region from which it takes its name.
THE COMPOSER
Lars Aksel Bisgaard (b. 1947) is a Danish composer and music educator. He studied musicology at the University of Copenhagen, followed by music theory and history at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. He furthered his studies in composition under Per Nørgård at the Academy of Music in Aarhus. Bisgaard’s career in music education began in 1981 at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Esbjerg. He later taught at the Royal Danish Academy of Music until his retirement in 2013. Bisgaard’s compositions comprise piano music, choral works, and two operas, Silvia and Arcadia, based on music by J.S. Bach.