Peter Erasmus Lange-Müller (1850 - 1926)

composer

P. E. Lange-müller is the master of intimacy in Danish Romantic music. A lifelong eye affliction gave him such severe chronic headaches that his musical career already had to be broken off in his youth; conducting too proved too much for him. But in the private salons that Lange-Müller frequented he made intimacy a virtue.

Lange-Müller is known today almost exclusively for his songs (he wrote about 250), but his piano music, chamber music and choral songs too have the same original melodic appeal, handled by the best ear for harmony in the Danish music of the age. Lange-Müller's musical language is blended with melancholy and the sound of folk music, arranged with an economy of resources and great charm in a style that can be described as Danish art nouveau.

Lange-Müller strove for success as an opera composer, but both the French-inspired Spanske Studenter (Spanish Students) and the Wagner-inspired Vikingeblod (Viking Blood) were failures. On the other hand, his music and songs for Holger Drachmann's fairytale comedy Der var engang (Once Upon a Time) were hugely successful for many generations.

Live Dates

18/10/2010 MusicWeb

Heise, Weise & Lange-Müller: Love Songs
“Mathias Hedegaard makes the most of these songs and the recording is out of Dacapo’s top drawer.”
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07/05/2010 Århus Stiftstidende

Heise, Weyse and Lange-Müller: Love Songs
"Den unge tenor Mathias Hedegaard har stemmen og klangen til at bære sangene frem på en måde, der både respekterer og forfrisker."
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18/04/2010 Dansk Musik Tidsskrift

Love Songs
"Mathias Hedegaard har en naturlig sans for disse sange. Hans stemme er fast og præcis med en ung, overtonerig klang. Tove Lønskov akkompagnerer med stort pianistisk overskud, og hun lever med i alle de mindste musikalske og tekstnære nuancer."
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03/03/2010 Kristeligt Dagblad

Love Songs - Mathias Hedegaard and Tove Lønskov
5/5 Stars

"Hvor er det dog en pragtfuld udgivelse, som tenoren Mathias Hedegaard og pianisten Tove Lønskov sammen har begået (...) En noget nær perfekt CD."
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15/08/2009 Audiophile Audition

Romantic Violin Concertos
5 Stars

"All three concertos are beautifully executed by Christina Åstrand who shows off the upper register of her instrument with a lovely purity of both tone and intonation."
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15/01/1994 American Record Guide

Gade, Hartmann, Langgaard, Henriques, Lange-Müller: Klavertrioer fra den danske guldalder
"Tre Musici display remarkable ensemble playing in the way they dovetail one another in expression."
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15/01/1994 Fono Forum

Gade, Hartmann, Langgaard, Henriques, Lange-Müller: Danish Golden Age Piano Trios
"Tre Musici gehen konzentriert und sensible zu Werke."
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Discography

	Love Songs Heise, Weyse & Lange-Müller CD 8.226141 (2010) Love songs by three masters of Danish Romanticism performed by Mathias Hedegaard
	Romantic Violin Concertos N.W. Gade, Lange-Müller, Langgaard SACD 6.220562 (2009) Languishingly beautiful music played with soul and brilliance by Christina Åstrand
	Serenades and Romances Nielsen, Weyse, Lange-Müller, Kunzen CD 8.226012 (2007) Smiles and longings of a summer night embodied by the young tenor Mathias Hedegaard
	Der er et yndigt land CD 8.224141 (2000) Danmark i lommeformat – de største klassiske hits og skønneste melodier
	Renaissance P.E. Lange-Müller CD 8.224109 (2000) Fuldmoden dansk nationalromantik af en elsket mester
	Der var engang (Once upon a time) P.E. Lange-Müller CD 8.224084 (1997) Songs and music from the Romantic fairytale comedy. A bestseller 100 years ago and today!
	Songs Lange-Müller and Heise CD 8.224065 (1997)
	Songs Lange-Müller & Heise CD 8.224033 (1997)
	Piano Works P.E. Lange-Müller DCCD 9206 (1993)
	Danish Golden Age Piano Trios Gade, Hartmann, Langgaard, Henriques, Lange-Müller DCCD 9310 (1993)