Dexter Gordon – Love For Sale (SCCD 36018)

SCCD 36018 Love For Sale / Dexter Gordon Quartet

Dexter In Radioland vol. 5

This fifth volume finds Dexter with his best rhythm section.

“… This collection of recordings from the Montmartre Club in Copenhagen in the Sixties…captures Gordon in full bloom….when Gordon hits his stride, as he does on the blues choruses of “Soul Sister”, there is every reason to join in the cheering of the audience. Remember him this way .” (Clive Davis, The Arts)

1. Introduction (Dexter Gordon)
2. Love for sale (Cole Porter)
3. I guess I'll hang my tears out to dry (Jule Styne)
4. Big fat butterfly (Tony Malaby)
5. Soul sister (Dexter Gordon)
6. Cherokee (Ray Noble)

UPC/EAN: 716043601820

Dexter Gordon – I Want More (SCCD 36015)

SCCD 36015 I Want More / Dexter Gordon Quartet

Dexter In Radioland vol. 4

“… This music here, recorded for Danish radio, all comes from 1964, when Dexter was at what we see with hindsight to have been both the zenith of his career and probably the happiest time of his life….”

(Steve Voce, JAZZ FM)

1. Introduction ()
2. I want more (Dexter Gordon)
3. Come rain or come shine (Harry Arlen)
4. Where are you? (Jimmy McHugh)
5. I want to blow now (Benny Green)
6. Second balcony jump (Jerry Valentine)

UPC/EAN: 716043601523

Archie Shepp, Lars Gullin – The House I Live In (SCCD 36013)

SCCD 36013 The House I Live In / Archie Shepp/Lars Gullin Quintet

Saxophonist and playwright Archie Shepp (b. May 24, 1937 in Fort Lauderdale. FL) then 26 years old visited Copenhagen in the fall of 1963 as a member of the famed New York Contemporary Five.

Though Shepp at that time was the passionate practitioner of Free jazz, this recording in which he shared the bandstand with Sweden’s legendary baritone sax Gullin is something quite different from what one normally expects from Shepp in the 60s. It is Shepp playing straight jazz with audible enjoyment showing off his broad range of expression.

1. You stepped out of a dream (Brown/Kahn)
2. I should care (Jimmy Van Heusen)
3. The house I live in (Earl Robinson)
4. Sweet Georgia Brown (Pinkard/Casey)

UPC/EAN: 716043601325

Dexter Gordon – King Neptune (SCCD 36012)

SCCD 36012 King Neptune / Dexter Gordon Quartet

Dexter In Radioland vol. 3

“ Those were the nights in the summer of 64, sitting home in your pad turning the dial on the radio, and suddenly the mighty Dexter Gordon is on the air. You are in Radioland with one of the godfathers of bebop …”(Ib Skovgaard – from the linernotes.)

“…. an impressive document of the time .” (Barry McRae, Jazz Journal International November 1990)

1. Introduction ()
2. King Neptune (Dexter Gordon)
3. Satin doll (Duke Ellington)
4. Body and soul (Johnny Green)
5. I want to blow now (Benny Green)

UPC/EAN: 716043601226

Odense Symphony Orchestra, Edward Serov – Nørholm: Symphony 2 Opus 50 (KON 32182)

Kontrapunkt 32182

Ib Nørholm: Symphony No. 2 Op. 50 “Isola Bella” (1968-71)

Odense Symphony Orchestra

Anders Nyborg narrator

Edward Serov conductor

1. I Vision Calmo ma espansivo

2. II Terrace 1 Poco fluente

3. III Terrace 2 & 3 Adagio

4. IV Terrace 4 Moderato ma espansivo

5. V Fiction Allegro

total playing time: 56:43

recorded December 1993

Ib Nørholm’s Symphony No. 2 “Isola Bella” was first performed in 1972 by the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. It has since been considered as of paramount importance among Nørholm’s symphonic works.

Odense Symphony Orchestra and the chief conductor Edward Serov gave their superb rendition of this ambitious work inspired by the intriguing scenery on an island in the Italian lake Lago Maggiore for the Kontrapunkt’s Nørholm Symphony series.

1. I Vision: Calmo ma espansivo (Ib Nørholm)
2. II Terrace 1: poco fluente (Ib Nørholm)
3. III Terrace 2 & 3: Adagio (Ib Nørholm)
4. IV Terrace 4: Moderato ma espansivo (Ib Nørholm)
5. V Fiction: Allegro (Ib Nørholm)

UPC/EAN: 716043218226

Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester, Schønwandt – Schumann: Manfred (KON 32181)

Kontrapunkt 32181

Robert Schumann: “Manfred” Op. 115

A dramatic poem by Lord Byron for soli, chorus & orchestra

Berliner Sinfonie-Orchester

Michael Schønwandt conductor

Jörg Gudzuhn narrator (Manfred)

Rundfunkchor Berlin

Dietrich Knothe chorus master

total playing time: 72:31

recorded October 1993

Kontrapunkt is proud to announce the release of Robert Schumann’s incidental music “Manfred” in the complete form.

This is probably the only complete “Manfred” (digital) recording available on CD presently. The text used here is in German, revised by Dr. Dietrich Steinbeck for this recording.

BSO’s Chief conductor Michael Schønwandt is Danish and just turned 40. Despite of his youth, Schønwandt has conducted most major orchestras in the world. He was the first Scandinavian conductor to conduct at the Wagner Festival in Bayreuth in 1987.

Earlier releases by Berliner Sinfonie Orchester with Michael Schønwandt: Ravel “Daphnis Et Chloé” (KPT 32152) and Berlioz “Requiem” (KPT 32143/4).

1. Ouverture (Robert Schumann)
2. Erste Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
3. Erste Abtheilung: 1 Gesang der Geister (Robert Schumann)
4. Erste Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
5. Erste Abtheilung: 2 Erscheinung eines Zauberbildes (Robert Schumann)
6. Erste Abtheilung: 3 Geisterbannfluch (Robert Schumann)
7. Erste Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
8. Erste Abtheilung:4 Alpenkuhreigen (Robert Schumann)
9. Zweite Abtheilung: 5 Zwischenactmusik (Robert Schumann)
10. Zweite Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
11. Zweite Abtheilung: 6 Rufung Der Alpenfee (Robert Schumann)
12. Zweite Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
13. Zweite Abtheilung: 7 Hymnus der Geister Ariman's (Robert Schumann)
14. Zweite Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
15. Zweite Abtheilung: 8 [Chorsatz] (Robert Schumann)
16. Zweite Abtheilung: 9 [Chorsatz] (Robert Schumann)
17. Zweite Abtheilung: 10 Beschwörung der Astarte (Robert Schumann)
18. Zweite Abtheilung: 11 Manfred's Ansprache an Astarte (Robert Schumann)
19. Dritte Abtheilung: 12 [Melodramatisch] (Robert Schumann)
20. Dritte Abtheilung: [Dialog] (Robert Schumann)
21. Dritte Abtheilung: 13 Abschied von der Sonne (Robert Schumann)
22. Dritte Abtheilung: 14 [Melodramatisch] (Robert Schumann)
23. Dritte Abtheilung: 15 Schluss-scene. Klostergesang (Robert Schumann)
24. Ouverture (Wiederholt) (Robert Schumann)

UPC/EAN: 716043218127

Sønderjyllands Symphony Orchestra, D151, Frans Rasmussen – Gade: Comala Op. 12 (KON 32180)

Kontrapunkt 32180

Niels W. Gade: “COMALA”

The Canzone Choir

Sønderjylland’s Symphony Orchestra

Anne Margrethe Dahl soprano

Elisabeth Halling mezzo soprano

Hitomi Katagiri alto

Johannes Mannov baritone

Frans Rasmussen conductor

This is the fourth release (two more to come) of N.W. Gade’s Cantata Series. Earlier releases (KPT 32070 “Elverskud”, KPT 32072 “Kalanus”, KPT 32148“Zion, Die Heilige Nacht, Gefion”) have been received with enormous interest throughout the world and generated quite an excitement around this composer who has unjustly been placed more or less in the shadow of Carl Nielsen.

“Comala” is Gade’s first attempt in his orchestra/chorus works which he called “Concert Pieces” composed in 1846 in Leipzig where he was taken under the wing of Mendelssohn whose post at the Gewandhaus Gade succeeded eventually.

1. Einleitung (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
2. No. 1 Chor Der Krieger und Barden (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
3. No. 2 Andante (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
4. No. 3 Chor Der Krieger (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
5. No. 4 Andante (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
6. No. 5 Ballade (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
7. No. 6 Moderato (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
8. No. 7 Chor Der Geister (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
9. No. 8 Andante (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
10. No. 9 Chor Der Krieger (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
11. No. 10 Andante con moto (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
12. No. 11 Andantino (Niels Wilhelm Gade)
13. No. 12 Chor Der Barden und Krieger (Niels Wilhelm Gade)

UPC/EAN: 716043218028

Odense Symphony Orchestra, Edward Serov – Nielsen: Symphony No. 2 Op. 16, Snefrid Suite, Amor Og Poeten Overture (KON 32178)

Kontrapunkt 32178

Carl Nielsen : Symphony No. 2 Op. 16

“The Four Temperaments”

Snefried Suite (from the incidental music to

the play by Holger Drachman)

Overture to Cupid And The Poet

Odense Symphony Orchestra

Edward Serov conductor

This is our third volume of the Nielsen symphony series and like the earlier releases (KPT 32157 and KPT 32171) there are a couple of rarely recorded symphonic works added to the main feature Symphony No. 2. Though Symphony No. 2 was composed 10 years later than the Symphony No. 1, it still belongs to the Nielsen’s earlier period in which his compositions are marked by his interest in musical characterization.

The chief conductor of Odense Symphony Orchestra Edward Serov is from Moscow and when he is not in Denmark he leads Volgograd Symphony Orchestra.

1. Symphony No. 2 Op. 16 The Four Temperaments: Allegro collerico (Carl Nielsen)
2. Symphony No. 2 Op. 16 The Four Temperaments: Allegro comodo e flemmatico (Carl Nielsen)
3. Symphony No. 2 Op. 16 The Four Temperaments: Andante malincolico (Carl Nielsen)
4. Symphony No. 2 Op. 16 The Four Temperaments: Allegro sanguineo (Carl Nielsen)
5. Snefrid: Forspil (Carl Nielsen)
6. Snefrid: Andante quasi sostenuto (Carl Nielsen)
7. Snefrid: Efterspil (Carl Nielsen)
8. Snefrid: Snefrids Søvn (Carl Nielsen)
9. Snefrid: Sørgemusik (Carl Nielsen)
10. Ouverture Til Amor Og Digteren Op. 54 (Carl Nielsen)

UPC/EAN: 716043217823

Søren Elbæk, Morten Mogensen – Brahms: Violin Sonatas, Scherzo (KON 32177)

Kontrapunkt 32177

Johannes Brahms : Violin Sonatas Op. 78, Op. 100 & Op. 108

Scherzo from the FAE Sonata

Søren Elbæk violin

Morten Mogensen piano

Recording Brahms’ violin sonatas can be a formidable task for young violinists. Søren Elbæk (pronounced “Sorn Elbeck”…almost) from the Copenhagen Trio took the challenge in his stride with his sidekick Morten Mogensen also a member of the Copenhagen Trio. The two musicians have been playing together since their early teens (they are now in their mid-20s) and it shows in their empathic performance.

Just recently a DJ from the Danish National Radio broadcasted this CD to declare that he considered Søren’s rendition superior to any releases from the major labels.

1. Sonata No. 2 A Major Op.100: Allegro amabile (Johannes Brahms)
2. Sonata No. 2 A Major Op.100: Andante tranquillo.Vivace di piu. Andante. Vivace (Johannes Brahms)
3. Sonata No. 2 A Major Op.100: Allegretto grazioso (quasi Andante) (Johannes Brahms)
4. Scherzo C Minor (FAE Sonata) (Johannes Brahms)
5. Sonata No. 1 G Major Op. 78: Vivace ma non toppo (Johannes Brahms)
6. Sonata No. 1 G Major Op. 78: Adagio (Johannes Brahms)
7. Sonata No. 1 G Major Op. 78: Allegro molto moderato (Johannes Brahms)
8. Sonata No. 3 D Minor Op.108: Allegro (Johannes Brahms)
9. Sonata No. 3 D Minor Op.108: Adagio (Johannes Brahms)
10. Sonata No. 3 D Minor Op.108: Un poco presto (Johannes Brahms)
11. Sonata No. 3 D Minor Op.108: Presto agitato (Johannes Brahms)

UPC/EAN: 716043217724