Accordion Concertos

Featuring

Rolf Gupta
Bjarke Mogensen
Danish National Chamber Orchestra
Ole Schmidt
Anders Koppel
Martin Lohse

Per Nørgård

Did you know?

1/7

Performer Biography

The Danish National Chamber Orchestra, led by chief conductor Adam Fischer for over ten years, is known as 'Denmark's Mozart orchestra' by reviewers.

Performer Biography

Bjarke Mogensen, the accordionist, has collaborated with many living composers, resulting in numerous new works dedicated to him.

Instruments

Mogens Ellegaard, the accordion virtuoso, was one of the first Danes to acquire a classical accordion with melody bass, which has a free keyboard in both hands, unlike traditional accordions.

Composition History

Ole Schmidt's Symphonic Fantasy and Allegro, the first modern accordion concerto, was written in 1958 after Schmidt met Danish accordion virtuoso Mogens Ellegaard.

Recording & Production

This album was recorded in cooperation with the Danish Broadcasting Corporation and released by Dacapo Records, Denmark's national record label, which focuses on releasing Danish music.

Historical Context

At the time of its premiere, Ole Schmidt's Symphonic Fantasy and Allegro was considered scandalous by the classical music world, which looked down on the accordion as a 'popular' instrument.

Performer Biography

Bjarke Mogensen, the accordionist on this album, began playing the accordion at age seven and made his solo debut with the Munich Symphony Orchestra at 13.