Release Date: 09 April 2021
Label: Odradek Records
Packaging Type: Digipak
No of Units: 1
Barcode: 0810042704084
Genres: Classical Solo Instrumental
Description
Kevin Duggan is an outstanding organist who performs a meticulously selected and beautiful array of Danish works on the magnificent Flentrop organ of Dunblane Cathedral. 'Hymne til Aero' takes its title from a work of the same name composed by Duggan after his time living on the Danish island of Aero. The piece is one of two world-premiere recordings of Duggan's music featured on this release.
Aero's low hills, whitewashed churches and the Baltic Sea, combined with Dunblane's poetic Flentrop organ, have inspired this musical evocation of Denmark. Two sublime works frame the album: the Prelude and Fugue in E minor by Nicolaus Bruhns and Carl Nielsen's 'tour de force, Commotio'. These works are well known outside Scandinavia, whereas the elegantly crafted music of composers such as Jesper Madsen and Leif Thybo may be less familiar but are deserving of a wider audience. As Duggan puts it in the album booklet, these shorter pieces "create a mood like sunlight shining through a window, whilst also evoking brooding skies and bucolic folk songs. There is often a connection to the Baroque era filtered through the prism of the Lutheran church."
The Flentrop organ of Dunblane Cathedral is an ideal medium for this colourful, eloquent music. Duggan describes it as "an instrument of musical integrity which breathes and sings."
Kevin Duggan is a versatile musician whose career embraces performance, composition and choral direction. Since 2015 Kevin Duggan has been Director of Music at Dunblane Cathedral, Scotland and Musical Director of the Rosenethe Singers. He also directs the choir Nordic Voices.
"Duggan ably demonstrates how this challenging work, awkwardly both neo-baroque and symphonic, works brilliantly on this organ." -Choir and Organ, 5 Stars
Tracklisting
Nuno Côrte-Real, Ensemble Darcos & Coro Ricercare
Artur Pizarro, Sinfonieorchester Wuppertal, Julia Jones
Ingibjorg Azima
Jenaer Philharmonie, Simon Gaudenz
Carion Wind Quintet
Johannes Fleischmann
Tony Addison Sextet
Vasco Pimentel Trio
Nora von Marschall
Lea Suter
Aart Bergwerff
Ran Jia
Johannes Krahl
Elke Volker
Henry Fairs
Pieter van Dijk
