Concertos & Movements [CD]

Celebrated accordionist Bjarke Mogensen showcases the full expressive power of the classical accordion in this compelling album of 20th and 21st-century concertos. Concertos & Movements spans diverse sound worlds, featuring music by Ihor Shamo, Anders Koppel, and Ole Schmidt-three composers united by their innovation and curiosity. The centrepiece is Shamo's Concerto for Accordion and String Orchestra (1981), a rarely heard Ukrainian work blending cathedral-like sonorities with folkloric flair. Two movements from Anders Koppel's Accordion Concerto No.2 receive world-premiere recordings: the introspective Cadenza for solo accordion, and the rhythmically charged Allegro con brio, arranged for chamber ensemble. Ole Schmidt's Concerto No.2 (1963), another world premiere, is a virtuosic and jazzinflected work that was decades ahead of it's time. Across all works, Mogensen's dynamic interpretations are supported by Denmark's finest ensembles, including the Aarhus Chamber Orchestra under Magnus Plejdrup.