Olsen: The Planets

The research on the musical cultures of faraway countries left its mark on Poul Rovsing Olsen’s (1922-82) oeuvre. He aimed at clarity and substance, and by fusing elements from the Occidental and Oriental traditions he developed a personal musical idiom that was unusual in Danish music. Poul Rovsing Olsen himself said that it was his dream “to make music as direct as possible, to bring it closer to the listener”. This album features his last composition ‘A Dream in Violet’ and four world premiere recordings of his music for voice and instruments, including ‘The Planets,’ based on a block book from the 15th century. Poul Rovsing Olsen was educated at the Royal Danish Academy of Music and subsequently in Paris where he studied under the highly regarded teacher Nadia Boulanger and the renowned composer Olivier Messiaen. Alongside his studies of classical music, Rovsing Olsen cultivated his passion for Oriental music and a great part of his life he dedicated to his professional work on ethnomusicology. His work in the music of distant countries also left its mark on Rovsing Olsen’s own music.