The idea for Koppel's biblical songs came when tenor Aksel Schiøtz, after a concert in 1949, asked Koppel to write songs for him and then opened the Bible to the Song of Songs.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Koppel's two forenames, Danish-German Herman and Jewish David, symbolically express two central threads in his understanding as a person, especially his connection to his Jewish roots through Old Testament studies.
Compositional Technique
Koppel's Five Biblical Songs, Op. 46, are closely tied to the Jewish cantor tradition, where a precentor guides the congregation through fundamental human states in the synagogue.
Recording & Production
This album was recorded at Studiescenen, the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen, in 2019 and 2021, with Ragnheiður Jónsdóttir as recording producer, engineer, mixer, and masterer.
Performer Biography
Pianist Christian Westergaard received international acclaim for his monumental 11-CD box set release, Peter Heise: The Song Edition, on Dacapo Records in 2021.
Composer Biography
Herman D. Koppel, the composer, was over 40 years old before he truly emerged as a song composer, with tenor Aksel Schiøtz acting as a catalyst.
Historical Context
Koppel's expressive music for biblical texts allowed him to convey the painful experience of the Holocaust, which became widely known in the years following World War II.
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