On the 20th May 2022, Mahan Esfahani’s world premiere recording of Poul Ruders’ harpsichord concerto was released on OUR Records. Performed with the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and conducted by Leif Segerstam, Ruders' work plays on the tension between the ‘yesterday’ and ‘today’ created by the solo instrument, bringing the past into the present and giving it new identity and purpose.
The EP was recorded live in Symphonic Hall, Århus, Denmark with the Århus Symphony Orchestra in September 2020. The concerto was commissioned for Mahan by Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, who will give the UK premiere at Caird Hall in Dundee on the 6th October 2022.
The EP has already received 4- and 5-star reviews from critics, and was named ‘Classical Album of the Week’ in The Times by Geoff Brown. Particular praise is given to the potent combination of Esfahani’s “sparkle and energy”, “prodigious skill and virtuosity” and “curiosity and musical intuition”, with Ruders’ “ear for colour and texture”, “simplicity and directness” and “impressively idiomatic writing”. The full reviews can be read here.
Watch a video of Mahan talking about the premiere of the Ruders harpsichord concerto here. To find out more about the album, click here. To find ways to listen to the album, click here.
