In the 19th and well into the 20th
centuries the European art song was dominated by German and Austrian
Lieder; Mendelssohn, Schumann, Hugo Wolf and Richard Strauss were
among the many composers who followed in Schubert’s footsteps.
The Scandinavian countries were recognised for their attractive
folk music but, though orchestral works by Grieg, Sibelius, Nielsen
and others slowly gained international acceptance, with few exceptions
(for example Kirsten Flagstad’s thrilling recital of songs by
Grieg and Sinding on a 1971 Decca LP, ECS 623). Scandinavian music
was seldom heard outside its native countries.
One effect of this neglect was to encourage Swedish,
Norwegian, Danish and Finnish composers to write salon pieces
for domestic and informal music making. As this disc shows, many
are far from being naïve, and have become firm favourites
all over the world, for example Sinding’s Frühlingsrauschen
(Rustle of Spring) and Grieg’s shorter piano pieces.
This programme covers a period up to Sinding’s
death in 1941, and draws welcome attention to a Danish composer
who, though famous in his own country, is now practically unknown
elsewhere. Ludolf Nielsen wrote over 200 songs, many piano and
orchestral works and an opera. The songs and piano pieces are
charming and fairly undemanding on either singer or pianist, as
are the three songs by his namesake Carl Nielsen on this record,
though the latter is more strongly influenced by folk music. Schumann’s
romantic voice can be detected in the characteristic piano pieces,
and the four in Op. 7 are similar in inspiration to the German
composer’s Scenes from Childhood. Grieg’s eight delightful
piano pieces and two songs will probably be familiar to many parlour
musicians, but there is an innocence and freshness about them
that is fully realised by both performers. English translations
of the titles and lyrics of the songs are thoughtfully provided
in the insert booklet
If this pleasing record whets the listener’s
appetite for more, two recent CDs of songs by Grieg [Anne Sophie
von Otter/Bengt Forsberg; Deutsche Grammophon 437 521-2] and Sibelius
[Katarina Karnéus/Julius Drake. Hyperion CDA
67318] have both been enthusiastically received, and could
more than adequately fill the bill.
Roy Brewer
Pauline Kehlet (soprano),
Nicolai Kjølsen (piano)