BOERRESEN: Chamber Works

Copenhagen Classic

CPO 999613

We recently published his 2nd and 3rd symphonies, and to the producer's delight, they met with great interest. This month I would like to introduce you to the two most important chamber music works of the Nielsen contemporary and friend: the early string sextet (1901) and the late second string quartet (1939). The sextet was written while the composer was still studying with Svendsen, and it is a brilliantly youthful piece. It was also immediately accepted for printing by Breitkopf & Härtel. Börresen dedicated it to Edvard Grieg, who thanked the young composer with the following enthusiastic words: "...yesterday I had the pleasure of reading through your work, on which I would like to congratulate you most warmly. You have an impressive command over the material, how solidly built, clear, transparent and beautiful in sound the whole is ! i really don't know which sentence I should prefer...". From this sextet by the 25 year old, at first hearing, there seems to be no long way stylistically to the 2nd string quartet by the 63 year old, but here Börresen has refined the "Nordic tone" reminiscent of Grieg in favor of a personal tone focused on the clear effect of the chamber music gesture: a jewel in the Danish quartet literature ! The chamber music ensemble Copenhagen Classic, consisting of outstanding young Danish musicians, plays.

CD x 1

CPO

11/10/06

761203961320