Ansgar Dälken - Madeleine

"He doesn't play the pieces, he dances them, and in doing so he shows a profound sense for the spaces between the bubbling notes," commented no lesser a figure than the French guitar master Pierre Bensusan on Ansgar Dälken. No wonder that this wonderful guitarist won second prize at the young talent contest during the OPEN STRING Festivals 1999. Dälken's technique grabs you from the very first note. Such deeply felt and masterfully interpreted play is seldom found. His inspiration ranges from fingerstyle guitarists such as Alex de Grassi all the way to the atmospheric jazz of Oregon, Ralph Towner or Pat Metheny. Ansgar Dälken not only plays guitar, he makes music in the best sense of the word. His instrument, from which he lures a wonderful carrying tone is only the means for his expression. "Madeleine", his first production for ACOUSTIC MUSIC, shows the entire range of his expressive possibilities. Light-bathed moods are contrasted with profound meditativeness, and we are allowed to enjoy the breadth of Ansgar Dälken's sonorous landscapes.