Ruders and Nørgård
A look within the Danish repertoire

Carl Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto is considered a staple in clarinet repertoire, but it seems to be the only Danish work regularly studied. On the whole, Danish music has struggled to find its way into the mainstage of the classical canon outside of Denmark. Critical study of Danish works and composers offers the chance to discover a whole vibrant body of clarinet repertoire that can serve to color and diversify the standard canon of music clarinetists draw from today. To that end, I have created a video series showcasing clarinet works written by living Danish composers. The various works featured here are vibrant and colorful. There are very few existing or publicly available recordings of these works. The program is as follows: Poul Ruders (b. 1949) - Tattoo for One (1984), Per Nørgård (b. 1932) - Hut Ab! (1988), Per Nørgård - Within the Fairy Ring - and Out of it (1999), Per Nørgård - Spell (1973). Enjoy!

Acknowledgements

Thank you Chad Burrow for opening the door to the world of Danish music for me, inspiring me to take on this project, providing the manuscripts, and aiding me in preparing the music.

Thanks to Dan Gilbert for his assistance in applying for funding and for shaping my playing throughout these past six years. Your initial push for me to pursue this project in the midst of the pandemic truly helped get this project off the ground.

A special thank you to Carey Bell for taking the time to give me a lesson and listen to my recordings. Your continued encouragement means the world to me.

I want to thank my lovely collaborators Wesley Hornpetrie and Hsin-Yi Huang for not only taking the time to work on a new piece, but also learning an unconventional system of notation. Your patience and kindness during rehearsals made the process so easy and enjoyable.

An extra special thank you to Leo Kim for not only learning a difficult duet with me but also helping me put together my grant applications, listening to my recordings, and proofreading my program notes. I could not have done this project without your love and support.

Thank you to Nelson Gast and Nightingale Media for being so amazing to work with from the literal beginning of this project through the very end. Your creativity and expertise brought this project to life and for that I am truly grateful.

And of course a huge thank you to my family for their continued love and support. I would not be where I am today without your sacrifices. Every day I feel truly blessed.

This project was supported in part through the School of Music, Theatre & Dance Eileen Weiser EXCEL Fund as well as the Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant.

Program:
Ruders and Nørgård

Poul Ruders - Tattoo for One (1984)
Per Nørgård - Hut Ab! (1988)
Per Nørgård - Within the Fairy Ring - and Out of it (1999)
Per Nørgård - Spell (1973)

Poul Ruders (b. 1949)

http://poulruders.net/about

Per Nørgård (b. 1932)

https://www.wisemusicclassical.com/composer/1141/Per-N%C3%B8rg%C3%A5rd/