The title “Music Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s Fairytales” isn’t quite correct. Schierbeck’s Prelude for Strings is a song paraphrase on the Andersen poem “In Denmark I Was Born”, and both Weyse’s Gypsy Dance and Hartmann’s overture to The Raven come from operas with librettos by Andersen. Still, the connection to the man and the literary inspiration remain clear, and all of the music, written over the course of more than a century, is worth hearing. August Enna’s overture to The Little Match Girl is very conservative music for 1897 (not 1859, a Freudian slip, perhaps, on the track listing), but it’s certainly pretty. Louis Glass’ Suite from Elf-Hill is full of tinkling celesta and is delicately scored, aptly evoking the necessary fantastic atmosphere. Finn Hoffding’s symphonic fantasy There’s No Doubt About It is the most modern-sounding work, a bit like Hindemith meets Dukas (as the booklet notes point out), and the music is rambunctious good fun.
This collection originally was recorded in 1986 and released on Unicorn-Kanchana. The Odense Symphony was not quite the fine ensemble that it is today, and the sonics are also a touch harsh and edgy by today’s standards. Still, all of this music is appealing, and the performances under Ole Schmidt are certainly lively and well-enough played. Besides, who can resist the concept? It’s good to see Dacapo resurrecting this collection, one of the few with a theme that sounds as good in practice as it looks on paper. This disc may even enjoy some broader appeal outside the narrow confines of the classical music ghetto. One can only hope.
