Vintersong (Winter Song) – Vaage/Vogt/Karlsen

Vintersong (Winter Song) is Daniel Sæther’s second solo album with new music for countertenor and baroque instruments. The release contains music by the contemporary composers Knut Vaage, Herman Vogt and Kjell Mørk Karlsen, and the album’s title is taken from the contemporary poet Hanne Bramness’ collection of poems of the same name, which also forms the textual basis for Vaage’s work. Vaage’s magnificent Wintersong – for countertenor, flutes, strings, string instruments and percussion – is the main work on this release. The other music is in a more chamber music format: Urlicht by Knut Vaage for mezzo-soprano, countertenor and piano, Laudato Si by Herman Vogt for countertenor, organ, recorder and cello, Jordens Oro Wiker and Meditatio sacra by Kjell Mørk Karlsen for countertenor, harpsichord, recorder, organ and cello. The lyrics on the album are everything from Francis of Assisi’s Laudes creaturarum, via Swedish poetry from the 19th and 20th centuries and up to the previously mentioned Wintersong.

Daniel Sæther is a trained countertenor at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (2005–2010) and the Royal Academy in The Hague (2010–2011). Since 2011, he has worked as a countertenor at home and abroad with concerts in, among other places, Sweden, Italy, Spain, England, Vietnam and Brazil with a wide repertoire from early music to contemporary music. In Norway, he is widely used as a soloist and ensemble singer, both in concert and opera.

This album is available exclusively in DSD and DXD and is not available on SACD.

Daniel Sæther – Countertenor
Kai Grinde Myrann – Conductor
Lynetta Taylor Hansen – Ttraverse Flute
Caroline Eidsten Dahl – Recorders
Ingrid Økland – Violin 1
Maria Ines Zanovello – Violin 2
Torunn Blåsmo-Falnes – Viola
Anna Carlsen – Cello
Fredrik Blikeng – Double Bass
Jørgen Skogmo – Theorbo
Vegard Lund – Lute, Theorbo
Anders Eidsten Dahl – Harpsichord, Organ
Kjell Tore Innervik – Percussion
Eira Huse – Mezzo-Soprano
Ole Christian Haagenrud – Piano
Anne Stine Dahl – Cello
Elisabeth Holmertz – Narrator