Kunzen: Symphonies

Denmark's symphonic beginnings. Unfortunately, we do not know exactly when the first Danish symphony was written. This is mainly due to the fact that a fire broke out at the Danish royal palace Christianborg in 1794, and much of the source material that could have answered important questions about musical practice at the Danish court was lost. Nevertheless, some works have survived, and together with the wonderful original sound ensemble Concerto Copenhagen under its director Lars Ulrik Mortensen, cpo explores this thoroughly rewarding terrain. The first discovery was Johann Ernst Hartmann, the progenitor of a very important dynasty of composers. This is followed by two composers, one of whom, like so many others, had immigrated from Germany, while the other, albeit 50 years later, came from his native country, even though, significantly, he earned his living as a banker. The German was Ludwig Aemilius Kuntzen, the Dane Georg Gerson. Both wrote one symphony each, but these are truly important and captivating contributions in the Viennese classical style (of Danish provenance).