The Jeanette Dyremose Ensemble was founded in 1977, originally as a children's elite ensemble, under the name of Det danske Harmonika Ensemble. Shortly after its foundation, the ensemble participated in an international competition in Rotterdam (with 3500 Participants), winning 1st prize in the art category, as well as the gold medal of the Dutch Ministry of Culture. This accomplishment resulted in many concert tours in Holland, Germany, Poland, Bulgaria, Norway and Sweden. Definitive international recognition for the Jeanette Dyremose Ensemble was obtained during two successful concert tours through USA and Canada in 1981 and 1986. Jeanette Dyremose, the leader of the Ensemble, graduated in 1970 at the Royal Danish Academy of Music as an organ player. Following her graduation, she studied accordion playing, pedagogics and ensemble instruction in Germany, Poland and USA. In 1977 she founded The Danish Accordion Ensemble, and in 1978 she founded The Danish Accordion Association. She is also a founder of the Accordion Centre in Copenhagen, the largest music school in Denmark specializing in the accordion. For 24 consecutive years she has been a member of the jury in Klingenthal. Jeanette Dyremose's Ensemble structured their program for this recording with the main emphasis on the pieces written in contemporary music language. As Charlotte (who supplied the CD) wrote to me: "This recording illustrates some of the now 23-year-old history of the Ensemble as it originally started as a children's accordion orchestra, and the last three tracks on the CD are recordings from that time; all other works recorded on the CD - the majority of which are recorded live- have been selected for the repertoire of the Ensemble with a view to documenting the development from children's orchestra into the artistically aerophonic unit of today, the Jeanette Dyremose Ensemble". The Ensemble's program consists mainly of very complex contemporary compositions, such as "Blaue Hortensie" by Przybylski. Composed on words of the poem by Rainer Maria Rilke, Blaue Hortensie was written for bass baritone, saxophone and musette accordion ensemble. The words were sung by the Danish opera singer Ulrick Cold. The Ensemble characteristically gives a very professional approach to the music it performs, and as a result their whole program sounds highly sophisticated, polished up to the smallest details with great precision. Artistically, the Ensemble leaves a very powerful impression, as their performance is deep and profound. Overall, this is one of the most professional Ensembles I have ever heard, and the impression they leave is moving. |
