Rued Langgaard (1893-1952) composed in a wide variety of styles and idioms while in his self-created isolation from the contemporary trends in early 20th-century music. The compositions on this disc fall into the late-romantic/ quasi-impressionistic categories, especially the vocal works with their dense chromaticism and their mystical (though somewhat cloying) quality (Langgaard subscribed to a highly symbolist artistic philosophy). It's no surprise that the melancholy Lenau Moods and the ecstatic In the Flowering Time feature texts concerning the loss of innocence and the yearning for the divine, qualities that are wonderfully realized by Annette Simonsen's beautifully sensitive singing. The String Quartet unexpectedly but understandably harks back to the classical era in structure and temperament.

However, it's in the works for winds that we encounter an especially astringent tone in the music, no doubt due to the influence of Carl Nielsen, a composer Langgaard at first idolized and then later rejected. The stark, piquant quality of the Septet and Humoresque make them the most interesting works on the program, especially as played by the Randers Chamber Orchestra, which gives expert and polished performances to all the pieces in this collection. Dacapo's recording is excellent for the wind pieces, but gives the impression of an empty, reverberant hall for the vocal selections.

--Victor Carr Jr.