POUL SCHIERBECK (1888-1949)
Complete works for solo piano
Piano Sonata in G minor (1915)
Sou'Wester, Sweater and Shag (1932)
Two Fantastic Etudes (1914)
Intermezzo
Three Pieces (1915)
Rhapsodic Piece
(1913)
Tove Lønskov
(piano)
rec 1999-2000
KONTRAPUNKT 32310 [66.58]
Poul Schierbeck was of that generation of Nielsen-shadowed composers who
have had to struggle to attain any real recognition. Nielsen's open air
individuality all but obliterated several generations. None of this was Nielsen's
fault but we need to understand that much as Britain had its Elgar and Vaughan
Williams eclipsing Bax, Moeran, Foulds, Holbrooke so Nielsen stood in the
light of Louis Glass and Poul Schierbeck, to name only two.
Most of the piano music dates from his early manhood. The Sonata is in three
movements with the first shaken by Rachmaninov's storm clouds and a lyrical
river derived from idioms recognisable from Brahms and Tchaikovsky. There
is respite from the struggle in the cradling lento. The five 'maritime sketches'
are the only works here to be written later in life (1932). They are dark,
rugged, choppy - as befits the evocative title. I thought of Skarbo,
Le Gibet and Gnomenreigen. The ironclad Ocean Lullaby
could easily partner the saltspray of Malcolm Macdonald's still too little
known Hebridean sea-scenes and Nystroem's Iskavet. Perhaps not too
much of a stone's throw would take you to Britten's East Anglian coastline.
You can easily imagine this music accompanying a reading of Erskine Childers'
'The Riddle of the Sands.' The Accordion finale anchors this suite
in uncomplicated humanity.
The Two Fantastic Studies take us back to a cliff-top 'soup' of Lisztian
Mephisto and Medtnerian Skazki. Their titles add representative flavour -
Darkness and Night Wind. The Intermezzo and the two
Vals movements from Three Pieces are delicate essays - Schierbeck
out of Chopin. The Mazurka emulates the harp in genteel courtliness
(3.45) swelled with grander emotions. The Rhapsodic Piece sounds like
a Handelian cross between the popular Percy Grainger (himself fond of things
Danish) and Brahms.
Lønskov is a most sensitive artist - technique aplenty alongside a
responsive approach and attention to dynamic contrast. I rate her extremely
highly. The natural piano sound achieved by Nils Winther contributes greatly
to a most favourable impression.
Rob Barnett
If in difficulties getting the disc it can be obtained in the UK direct from
Discovery at:
Discovery Records
Ltd
discovery.records@virgin.net
phone 01672 563931
fax 01672 563934
or from Kontrapunkt at www.steeplechase.dk/
