Langgaard has always been something of an outsider in Danish music circles, poorly understood and often neglected; he has been likened to Charles Ives and Havergal Brian in this respect. His Music of the Spheres (Sfaernes Musik) is undoubtedly one of the most experimental and thought-provoking works to come out of Denmark in the early twentieth century. Langgaard wrote the music between 1916-18 and saw it published the following year. It would be one of the few orchestral compositions published while Langgaard was living.

The music was introduced in Germany in 1921 and 1922, once to a highly receptive audience and a second time to less enthusiasm. The piece was soon dropped from performance altogether.

Langgaard peppered his Music of the Spheres with very unusual orchestration. He called for a fifteen-man "distant orchestra" and soprano soloist. It also required a piano with the lid removed to facilitate direct playing on the strings - a very unusual idea and the first of its kind found in any work before.

Even with the large orchestration, Langgaard seems to hold back the forces and apply brakes to the music. Much of the time, the piece is played at a low volume and the input of the entire orchestra is only called for at the end of the work, though substantial, lasting more than a half hour.

Music of the Spheres is based heavily on ideas of geometry such as space, height and depth, and foreground and background. Langgaard explains "In Sfaernes Musik I have in the darkness and despair of night completely abandoned any sort of motif, planned structure, form or coherence. It is 'Music' cloaked in a black veil and the impenetrable mists of death..."

The work is divided into 15 distinct sections; all coming together in the conclusion titled "Antikrist-Krist" (Antichrist-Christ). Here, Langgaard pits opposing musical themes against one another. Choir and harp counter loud sections of percussive sound generated by cymbals and timpani. It was music that to Langgaard represented a "life and death fantasy."

© Tod Whitesel, All Music Guide