N.B. Concert Choir & Orchestra - Børresen 150 years & Mozart's Requiem

N.B. Concert Choir & Orchestra
Conductor: Niels Borksand
Soloists: Laura Helene Hansen, Elisabeth Hanke, Stig Fogh Andersen & Morten Frank Larsen

The Danish composer Hakon Børresen (1874–1954) was born on 2 June 1874. Prolific throughout his life, he composed symphonies, a violin concerto, extensive theatre music, and two operas: Den Kongelige Gæst and Kaddara. Both were staged to great acclaim at the Royal Danish Theatre.

Kaddara, set in Greenland and driven by a powerful, dramatic narrative, enjoyed considerable success, receiving 40 performances between its premiere in 1921 and its final staging in 1946. Thereafter, it fell largely into obscurity until today’s conductor, with support from the Hakon Børresen Foundation, revived the work in a concert performance in Ruse, Bulgaria, in 2013, followed by a critically praised recording. Several of the singers featured on that recording appear in this evening’s performance.

Mozart’s unfinished Requiem remains one of the most beloved works in the choral repertoire. Over the years, it has been presented in numerous editions and completions. The evening’s performance follows the earliest and most widely performed completion, prepared by Mozart’s pupil, Franz Xaver Süssmayr.

The soloists are Laura Helene Hansen, Elisabeth Hanke, and the two Kammersänger — Danish and Austrian respectively — Stig Fogh Andersen and Morten Frank Larsen.

The concert is conducted by Niels Borksand, Denmark’s oldest active classical conductor.