BBC Music Magazine (UK)
Works by Sørensen, Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Clausen, Rasmussen, Christensen & Borup-Jørgensen. Michala Petri (recorder): Lapland Chamber Orchestra/Clemens Schuldt.
While the mainstay of the recorder`s repertoire sits within the medieval-Baroque periods, recent years have seen a growing body of new music composed for that instrument, recognizing and celebrating its distinct timbre and ready agility. These 3 well- recorded discs, all af Scandinavian origin, mark the recorder`s continuing appeal, offering complex and challenging new compositions alongside more broadly accessible works.
Nordic Sound presents five world premieres for recorder and string orchestra alone, with the outstanding recorder virtuoso Michala Petri as soloist. The work were each commissioned in tribute to Danish composer Axel Borup-Jørgensen (1924-2012), whose own transfixing Sommasvit (1957) for string orchestra closes the disc. Standout pieces include Sunleif Rasmussen`s Winter Echoes, which unleashes ferocious trills and flutters from the recorder in a pleasing subversion of the instrument`s dulcet reputation, and Bent Sørensen`s Whispering for recorder and strings, its title said to be inspired by Axel`s soft and fragile way of speaking` and which forms a delicate and moving tribute. Kate Wakeling, August 2015, Performance 4 stars- recording 4 stars.