Classical Music

Rikke Sandberg is recognized as one of the most prominent pianists in Danish musical culture and, since her debut recital in 2002, has been an elite part of the Danish music scene. She is constantly present and totally absorbed in the music and her competence and talent are without bounds- she is as comfortable playing music composed several hundred years ago as she is playing music written yesterday. When she is not sitting at the piano she works on her own Nordic Chamber Music Festival where she is the artistic leader. Or she is nurturing the next generation in her role as teacher at the Royal Danish Music Academy, as a frequent member of the jury and jury chairman of the Steinway Music Festival. She is often the orchestral pianist for concerts with The Danish National Symphony Orchestra and the Malmo Symphony Orchestra. Rikke Sandberg has been awarded many prizes. These include the Jacob Gade Prize, the Victor Schioler and Sonning Prize and the Society of Danish Music Critics Award.

Erik Satie is a bit of a cult figure. His distinctive and grotesque but also poetic and beautiful music is performed by many- especially his beloved little “gymnopedies.” The early 1900s in Paris was an exciting time filled with contradictions and paradoxes, and Satie and his music are a distinct and uncompromising expression. This new release is a truly fascinating take on the French composer Eric Satie. The Danish trio has long experienced great success with their intimate concerts featuring songs and solo music by Satie, and the result is here captured in brilliant sound. Trio Satie is celebrating their tenth anniversary with the release of this album. The group works to arrange music for soprano, double bass and piano- a somewhat unusual trio combination- and cares about presenting and explaining the music in a cultural and historical context of contemporary poetry and visual arts. It gives their concerts shape as a kind of “café concert” and the ambition is to make difficult music easy, accessible, and fun.

This release is the second volume in the retrospective series featuring undoubtedly the greatest Danish organist ever. Finn Videro made these legendary recordings in the 1950s and they are here for the first time collected and presented in new digital masters. None were available in modern formatting prior to this series. All of these tracks have been expertly transferred from the best possible sources. Finn Videro played the organ music of Johann Sebastian Bach in a way that created envy and fear from all other organists. He used the baroque organs to perfection and his stylish way of performing simply stunned all and brought Bach-playing afresh. Vider� was born in Fuglebjerg, N�stved. He was the organist at the Reformed Church in Copenhagen from 1928 to 1941, the J�gersborg Church from 1942 to 1947, the Trinitatis Church in Copenhagen from 1947 to 1971 and St. Andreas Church in Copenhagen from 1971 to 1977. He was guest lecturer at Yale University and held an honorary doctorate from the University of �bo in Finland. In 1933, he co-published with Oluf Ring a widely used organ primer. His organ playing was uncompromising and many believed that Vider�'s musical interpretations were as close to the authentic, artistic and historical representation intended by the composer as one could get.

The Danish pianist Victor Schiøler (1899-1967) was born in Copenhagen. His studies began early, first learning piano under his mother but then with piano giants Ignaz Friedman and Artur Schnabel. He made his debut in 1914, and from 1919 on he was regularly touring Europe. By the time he toured the USA after World War II, he had become the most celebrated and popular Danish pianist ever. His recording of the first Tchaikovsky piano concerto was the best ever sold classical recording in Denmark. Outside Denmark he was regarded as one of the finest examples of virtuoso and lyrical piano playing and he made numerous recordings on 78 rpm, and later re-recorded most of his repertoire in mono and in the end stereo LP records. As a chamber musician he was most sought after and the release here of the Schubert Trio with Henry Holst and cellist Erling Blondal Bengtsson is truly music making of the highest order.

One of the very few Danish tenors known all over the world for his beautiful voice and strong stage presence here let his hear down and sings popular Danish songs in the "crooner" style done with charm and utter joy. Helge Rosv�nge was the leading tenor not only in Germany but sang in many countries even into old age he performed at Carnegie Hall, New York. These utterly rare recordings are here collected for the first time and newly transferred using the best possible digital noise reducing system. Helge Rosv�nge, who was to become one of German opera's most brilliant tenors of the last century, was actually born in Copenhagen, Denmark, on August 29, 1897. He passed away in Munich in 1972. While working for a degree in chemistry he also found time for singing lessons and appeared in smaller Copenhagen theatres. In the end opera won over chemistry and Rosv�nge made his debut in Germany, a country which would be his new home. He was happy there, and his entire singing career is linked to Germany and Austria, although he was frequently in Copenhagen during the 1920s and 1930s. Rosv�nge's voice endured to old age. His career as a singer spanned more than 50 years. Although inevitably the original shimmer and ring had faded some, he was still able at the age of 66, thanks to a fabulous vocal technique, to delight an audience at New York's Carnegie Hall.

This is a recording of songs and duets by Danish father and son composers Henrik Rung (1807-1871) and Frederik Rung (1854-1914).

For this last volume of recordings emanating from Danish Radio, Erling Bl�ndal Bengtsson plays six cello concertos, all by Danish composers, exhibiting a wide range of styles, from romantic to modern. Conductors include Thomas Jensen and Oliver Knussen. Also included is Tchaikovsky's Rococo Variations, conducted by the legendary Pierre Monteux. Once again, Bengtsson's open-mindedness, versatility, impeccable technique and sterling musicianship are presented as part of an infallible showcase. Erling Bl�ndal Bengtsson performed extensively throughout Europe, the United States, South America and Russia. He appeared with most of the world�s leading orchestras including the Royal Philharmonic, the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, and the Hague�s Residentie Orchestra under the direction of many of the contemporary leading maestros, such as Yuri Temirkanov, Mariss Jansons, and Herbert Blomstedt. His repertoire was all-encompassing and he has championed the works of leading Scandinavian composers, as well as performing the Scandinavian premieres of cello concertos by Britten, Barber, Khatchaturian, Delius, Lutoslawsky and Walton. A consistent recording artist, with over 50 albums, he has, along with the complete standard repertoire for cello and orchestra, recorded many contemporary concertos, most of which were dedicated to him. In 1998 his recording of the Zolt�n Kod�ly Solo Sonata, was chosen by the "GUINNESS CLASSICAL 1000" as being one of the top 1000 recordings of all time.

At the end of the 1920's and the beginning of the 30's, the German gramophone company Polydor issued a number of much sought after Brailowsky recordings, and even today the technical quality of these recordings as regards to resonance and tonality is astonishing. These old Berlin recordings, the matrices of which were unfortunately destroyed during the 1940-45 bombardment, must surely be some of the most inspiring; here the commercial 78 rpm pressings are presented in brand new digital transfers preserving the art of the "Keyboard Giant" Alexander Brailowsky, a Chopin player of rare distinction renowned for his prodigious technique and beautiful tone. The noted Russian-born French pianist, Alexander Brailowsky, studied first with his father, a professional pianist; then continued his training at the Kiev Conservatory, graduating with a gold medal in 1911. Following advanced studies with Leschetizky in Vienna from 1911 to 1914, and Ferruccio Busoni in Z�rich, he completed his training with Francis Plant� in Paris. To this day his Chopin Waltzes are considered authoritative and have seldom been outdone since he recorded them in the 1960s.

Danacord continues it's tribute to the Danish cellist Erling Blondal Bengtsson. For this volume of recordings emanating from Danish Radio Bengtsson plays two staples of most cellists' repertoire, masterworks by Shostakovich and Richard Strauss, spicing things up with music by Berio and Ligeti, such choices opening up our perceptions of Bengtsson's repertoire, and then going further by including his sympathy for concertos written for and dedicated to him. Thus, this programme adds up to a revealing portrait of Bengtsson's versatility and virtuosity.

Gustav Piekut is establishing himself as one of the most interesting young classical musicians in Scandinavia. He has been described by the West-Deutsche Allgemeine Zeitung as "a poet and virtuoso at the piano" and "stunned the audience with his transparent playing and sense of timing" according to Hamburger Abendblatt. After debuting with the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra at the age of 12, and appearing two years later as a soloist with the Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gustav Piekut regularly travels across Europe for recital, concerto and festival performances. In addition to winning four prizes at Aarhus International Piano Competition in 2017, Gustav Piekut has taken prizes in the Dublin International Piano Competition, Piano Campus Competition Pontoise, Astana Piano Passion, Balys Dvarionas International Music Competition, International Piano Forum Sanok and many others. This is Gustav Piekut's debut recording.

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music

Classical Music