Future releases

'I feel each of my symphonies is a whole continent in itself,' the Danish composer Per Nørgård (b. 1932) has said. One of the greatest symphonists of our time, his music stems from an insatiable urge to explore the phenomena of the world and the possibilities of music. His eight symphonies stand as milestones over the course of six decades, and this 4 CD box set contains spellbinding performances which harvested a bumper crop of critical superlatives on their initial release. These recordings provide a fascinating insight into the symphonic thinking of Nørgård, the composer of the ‘infinity principle’.

In this first of a series, the vocal ensemble Music Ficta chronicle 100 years of music at Kronborg Castle, Shakespeare's Elsinore. The Danish kings Frederik II and Christian IV lived at Kronborg during Denmark's most prosperous period, when guests from abroad enriched its musical life. This album features the music of one of these visitors, composer John Dowland, interspersing his Lachrimae with songs and lute music.