Interview with composer Poul Ruder in Fanfare by Keith Fisher.

In that earlier interview, you alluded to a piece you had only recently completed for (and commissioned by) Michala Petri (who, in addition to being the doyenne of recorder virtuosi, is one of the guiding lights of OUR Recordings!). And now – lo and behold! – that piece, Transfigurations, is the title work on the new OUR disc. Tell us about the genesis of that work.

The thing is, that Ms Petri has been indefatigable in her effort to persuade me to write a piece for her, I mean we´re talking years of polite e-mail correspondance back and forth, with me dodging the issue, again and again. Why? Because I didn´t want to write for the recorder in any shape or form. I know, it sounds arrogant and ungrateful, given her colossal position as the unchallenged international Queen of the Recorder. But then, one day, while walking my dog, I was struck down by a blinding light, and a booming voice from above told me to get my act together and write that piece, because that´s what I needed, absolutely needed to face something completely new in order not to repeat myself in yet another composition for an instrument or instruments I´ve written for, safely and with confidence, over the years. The dreaded specter of routine must be slain at all cost. So, after having been expertly guided by Ms. Petri through what the various kinds of recorders could do, I began to write, ever so tentatively, having at the back of my mind the wish to do a piece, a concerto-ish opus for the instrument with string orchestra. Fast forward: when Gidon Kremer´s fabulous group of virtuosos, the Kremerata Baltica agreed to join in, I couldn´t wait to get cracking and had a wallow of a time writing the piece. "Transfigurations" saw its world premiere with Michala Petri and Kremerata in the Dzintaru Concert Hall, Latvia, 15 September, 2023.

There are Handelian blossoms in the air as I listen to A Moveable Concerto, the next work on the new disc. According to the notes it was written at the behest of organist and composer Peter Navarro-Alonso, who performs it on this recording. This piece evidences your, by now, well-documented fascination with baroque music. How did that come about? Did you experience the allure of the baroque as a boy when singing in church choirs?

I´d say so, probably because of the strong emphasis on the choral works by Bach and, especially Handel, regularly performed by the Copenhagen Boys Choir, where I was placed in the alto section in the late 1950s, early 60s. I vividly remember my fascination with the organ concerto(don´t remember which one), performed on a so-called organ positive, after(or was it before?)the intermission during the performance of Handel´s oratorio "Saul", a tradition "lifted" from what was the norm back then in Handel´s day(with Georg Friedrich himself at the keyboard) More than sixty years later, when approached by Mr. Navarro-Alonso with a view to contribute with a piece, any piece, chorus or organ, for a major event at the church where he works as organist and choir master, I realized, that this was the perfect opening for me to, finally, compose my own "handy" Organ Concerto, a "Movable Concerto - five short pieces for organ positive and strings".

How, if at all, do you abiding interest in the baroque infuse your musical thought and your compositional process?

Well, there´s no denying, that I have a few neo-baroque (for want of a better word)compositions on my conscience, but the number is insignificant compared to the massive bulk of all my other works, not a few of them high-voltage expressionist pieces, light-years from the "law-and-order" world of the baroque.

Talking about the baroque leads me to the harpsichord, which is one of the keyboard instruments you studied in your youth. One of my favorite pieces of yours is Cembal d’Amore for harpsichord and piano. In 2019, you returned to this instrument with the Concerto for Harpsichord and Symphony Orchestra, which is the third and final work on the new CD. According to the program notes, this was a commission from the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra in collaboration with the redoubtable harpsichordist Mahan Esfahani. How has your writing for this instrument evolved, and what strategies did you use for solving the timbral challenges of a harpsichord concerto with a modern symphony orchestra?

When placing a "softspoken" instrument such as the harpsichord or the guitar up against a modern symphony orchestra, red flags pop up immediately, claxons hoot and dogs on the neighboring farms start barking: "Balance, balance, balance!!! It´s self-evident, that the battle is lost, before it has even begun, which is why you need electric amplification! The word alone sends shivers down the spine of purists worshipping at the altar of historical correctness. So be it, but with the right, carefully planned amplification, you can create a perfect balance between soloist and orchestra, and as an extra bonus, the gate is open for completely new sound combinations. In my piece you´ll hear two trombones on equal footing with the harpsichord, playing in the same register. Without amplification the trombones would have steam-rollered the poor harpsichord. It must be said though, that the composer shouldn´t rely entirely on amplification; you want to make sure - when harspichord and orchestra perform simultaneously - that the orchestra plays in a register above the harpichord . In that way the harpsichord isn´t "sucked" under and into the underlying quagmire of double basses, bassoons etc.

I have always been interested in the challenges posed for a composer when writing for a solo instrument (other than a keyboard, of course) in terms of creating harmonic relations and sustaining musical interest. Debussy’s Syrinx and the Bach solo cello suites and violin partitas are exemplary in this regard. (I recall struggling with this myself as a young man – one of my compositions for my thesis was a piece for solo clarinet). You have several non-keyboard solo pieces in your catalogue, several of which are for guitar (unsurprising given your longstanding affiliation with David Starobin and Bridge Records). In fact, one of the first works of yours that I heard about 20 years ago was on a disc of Danish music for solo cello played by Morten Zeuthen based on that staple of the medieval hit parade, L’Homme Armé. Yours was one of the lengthier works on the disc with the provocative title Bravour Studies for Solo Cello over “L’Homme Armé.” Some of the “bravura” elements had the cellist singing and whistling and using the body of the cello as a percussion instrument, which reminded me of things Frederic Rzewski and George Crumb have done in some of their works. What are some of your thoughts about writing for solo instruments? Additionally, is this a case of “been there, done that,” or do you contemplate further pieces of this sort?

Nope! Well, never say never, but I really believe I´ve "been there, done that".

Along the same lines, what’s on the drawing board for Poul Ruders? Are there commissions you are currently working on or pet projects you plan to indulge? Also, from the point of view of Fanfare’s readership, you have enjoyed a healthy relationship with Bridge Records and now with OUR Recordings, so are there additional recordings of your music on the horizon?

Right now I "rest my case" after having completed Piano Sonata No 3, a bulky "biggie" of 35 minutes duration, "Ripples on the waters of Sorrow and Joy". It wasn´t commissioned by anybody, I just wanted to do it, and anyone wanting to take it on is welcome. Will it go down as my "last piece"? Probably not, but for the moment I have no plans hovering on the horizon. I belong to generation of composers, regardless of stylistic inclination, writing concert hall music, ie. compositions being performed by professionally trained and well-behaved musicians in front - literally - of a well-educated and likewise well-behaved audience. Then bowing and scraping on the stage, nice applause and thoughtful contemplation on the way back to the parking lot. Nothing wrong with that, but personally I´m fed up with the classical (the term itself is a calamity, but I love the music unconditionally, it´s the "label" that reeks of privilege and elitism at its most condescending) performance tradition. I hardly ever attend a live concert anymore, preferring the electronic alternative. I know, I shouldn´t have said it, but there we are, and it´s entirely my personal decision for which I´m prepared to take the blame. With today´s multiple streaming options, one is spoiled for choice. As a composer I have been enormously privileged having virtually all of my music recorded, predominantly by the admirably courageous and innovative New York-based label Bridge Records, run by Becky and David Starobin.
AND wonders never cease! I´m now enjoying being presented by another extraordinarily visionary and devoted label, Danish OUR Recordings, established 20 years ago by guitarist Lars Hannibal and Michala Petri (small world, I know). Anyway, now at 77, I can look back with humility and gratitude on a...erm...pretty good run! July 2026