Herman D. Koppel (1908-1998)
Composer and Pianist Volume 7
rec. 21 October 1965, DR Concert Hall; 2023, The Village Recording, Denmark
No texts but available on Danacord’s website
Danacord DACOCD573-574 [2 CDs: 139]

It’s been so long since the sixth volume in this series appeared (review) that I was beginning to wonder if there would ever be another. That previous release contained Koppel’s Requiem, composed only a year or two after his oratorio Moses which occupies most of the first disc in this well-filled twofer. The remainder of the release contains songs and solo piano pieces of a much less militant stripe than Moses.

There are two central characters in his oratorio, the titular Moses, obviously, but also, and perhaps just as importantly, the unnamed soprano, sung by Lone Koppel, the composer’s daughter, in this recording made on 21 October 1965, the work’s premiere in the DR Concert Hall. The audience is commendably focused and quiet. Koppel decided to prepare for Moses’ arrival by going back to the beginning, so he gives us a very compressed Creation and Fall, then a brief scene for Abraham before the arrival of Moses. The work then continues with Moses and the Israelites and their various laments and prophecies, until Moses’ death in the final tableau. The oratorio ends with funeral music and a Hallelujah. Though I’ve mentioned the two central roles, there are actually three because Willy Hartmann is the Bach-like narrator, though his contributions are sung, and it’s around the Moses of Frans Andersson, the soprano and narrator that the work develops.

Koppel’s vision is trenchant and unflinching and the oratorio, though broken up into small choruses, arias and trios, is not an especially easy listen. There is tremendous power throughout, not least in the Fall – the orchestration here is especially subtle – and in the trials of Abraham. There are sinuous Stravinskian elements at work as well as sardonic ones – both these elements can be heard in the scenes where Moses first appears, where Koppel clarifies his orchestration to excellent expressive effect. It was a pleasure to come across the excellent Gurli Plesner, who takes the small role of Mirjam, a pleasure only limited by how little she sings. The writing varies from propulsive, driven on by percussion, as in Lone Koppel’s final solo at the end of Part I, or reflective, as in the Israelites’ melancholy chorus, to Moses’ melismatic aria before his death, that itself prefaces the overwhelmingly declaimed funereal writing and concluding, triumphant Hallelujah.

For those who require modern sonics, this well-paced, cleverly structured piece was recorded by Dacapo two decades ago with Owain Arwel Hughes at the helm (8.224046). The première was excellently prepared by Miltiades Caridis who was a strong presence in Denmark during the 1960s and whose cultivation and propagation of Bartók’s music gave him great authority – Koppel drew on Bartók as much as Stravinsky in many of his scores.

There are no texts or translations in the booklet, though these are accessible via Danacord’s website, www.danacordbutik.dk

The recently recorded songs and piano pieces offer another side to Koppel. Some of the songs are folkloric – a couple of The Seasons are pliant and supple examples of his art in this smaller form. The 50 Short Pieces for the Piano are introduced – by title – by Lone Koppel and Thomas Peter Koppel, the composer’s grandson. These aperçu-like character pieces – droll, crisp, witty – were dedicated ‘to my grandchildren’ so the contribution of both Koppel’s daughter and grandson is as delightful as it is appropriate. The songs are light and some reflect Koppel’s immersion in stage and screen. I was delighted to hear guitarist Allan Sjølin accompanying both Thomas Peter Koppel and also Vibeke Kristensen in some pop-tinged charmers. If you think you know your Koppel, take a listen to The Desert Shepherd from 1975 which shows just how attuned he was to the popular muse when he wanted to be. Go back to 1935 and the Song about a Man called Larsen and you’ll find just as much up-tempo wit in popular style.

It’s been well worth the wait – some fifteen years – for volume 7 in the series. This twofer shows two sides of Koppel, the serious-minded composer of ritual and focused imagination, and the popular composer and family man. Both add to our store of knowledge and the performances are worthy of the music.

Jonathan Woolf           

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Contents
CD1
Moses, oratorio, Op.76 (1963-64)
Lone Koppel (soprano)
Willy Hartmann (tenor) – Narrator
Kurt Westi (tenor) – Angel of the Lord
Hans Christian Andersen– Abraham
Frans Anderssen (bass-baritone) – Moses
Gurli Plesner (contralto)– Mirjam
Mogens Schmidt Johansen (baritone) – Josua
Danish National Radio Choir; DR Symphony Orchestra/Miltiades Caridis
rec. 21 October 1965, DR Concert Hall (world premiere)
Two Songs, Op.75 (1962)
Vibeke Kristensen (soprano): Irene Hasager Johansen (piano)
Two Songs, Op.108 (1982)
Thomas Peter Koppel (tenor): Irene Hasager Johansen (piano)

CD 2
Old Dance (1924)
Christina Bjørkøe (piano)
The Seasons, Op.65 (1957)
Jonathan Koppel (tenor): Irene Hasager Johansen (piano)
50 Short Pieces for the Piano, Op.99 (1977)
Christina Bjørkøe (piano): Lone Koppel and Thomas Peter Koppel (speakers)
Solstice Song (1949)
Jonathan Koppel (tenor): Irene Hasager Johansen (piano): Allan Sjølin (guitar)
From the Album: Poppy Road (1975)
The Desert Shepherd
Thomas Peter Koppel (tenor): Allan Sjølin (guitar)
From the Film: Ditte, Child of Man (1946)
The Spinning Song
Vibeke Kristensen (soprano): Allan Sjølin (guitar)
From the Play: The Melody that Disappeared
Song about a Man called Larsen
Thomas Peter Koppel (tenor): Allan Sjølin (guitar)
Little Poet Tale (c.1936)
Thomas Peter Koppel (tenor): Lone Koppel (piano)
Evening Song (1944)
Vibeke Kristensen (soprano): Irene Hasager Johansen (piano)
rec. June 2023, The Village Recording