When was the music for the famous Elverhøj printed? Who brought the reviled avant-garde to Denmark? And how does the landscape look like for the new music composed today? Eight music experts draw with great insight a portrait of Denmark’s aural cultural history. They tell about composers and works from the past and present and take a special look at the experimental side of classical music. Musikalske aftryk (Musical Impressions) is a story about Danish music through 150 years. Edition·S was founded as a national project after the defeat in 1864 and has since been an institution with the aim of spreading both the beautiful and the more edgy sides of Danish music.
In the summer of 1871, a group of Danish composers and music lovers got together at the country house of the Danish composer Peter Heise to discuss the idea of establishing a publishing house dedicated to Danish music. Later that year, the idea was turned into reality: Samfundet til udgivelse af dansk musik (The Society for the Publication of Danish Music) was founded.
The original articles of the society stated that it should “benefit Danish music by way of financing or supporting the publication of significant musical works, old as well as new. In particular, such that would otherwise struggle to be published.”
Today, 150 years later, the publishing house – now under the name Edition·S – has published works by more than 250 composers. The catalogue holds an overwhelmingly large spectrum of music that deserves to be celebrated and told about. The music published by Edition·S spans from classical music to electronic music, graphic notation, pieces including performative elements and stage music.
Since the very beginning, Edition·S has been “the composers’ publishing house” and still serves as a catalyst in the production of works that exist on terms that are not necessarily commercial. The publishing house enjoys great support from the music scene with its ambitious composers, dedicated musicians and orchestras, that bring new Danish music to a curious audience. The publishing house helps securing one of the most essential dynamics in music: that works from the past still exist today, and that the works of today will exist in the future.
Musikalske aftryk is published to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Edition·S. It is a great opportunity to revisit old stories from the classical music scene in Denmark and explore the new landscape that unfolds with the music composed today.
Author and associate professor at the Royal Danish Academy of Music, Søren Schauser, is the editor of Musikalske aftryk and co-writer together with Sanne Krogh Groth, Sune Anderberg, Henrik Friis, Anette Vandsø, Rasmus Holmboe, Ingeborg Okkels and Ivar Frounberg.
The book is published by Grønningen 1 and is available at Danish bookstores and here at Edition·S
The publication is kindly supported by
Aage og Johanne Louis-Hansens Fond, Augustinus Fonden, Beckett-Fonden, Dronning Margrethes & Prins Henriks Fond and Sonning-Fonden.