Christina Bjørkøe’s complete Carl Nielsen piano music cycle arrives on the heels of Martin Roscoe’s edition for Hyperion. In general, Bjørkøe is a freer, more impulsive player who does not always follow Nielsen’s tempo markings by the book, in contrast to Roscoe’s more literal interpretations. Her attitude especially lends itself well to shorter character works, such as the delightful teaching pieces that make up Piano Music for the Young and Old Op. 53, or the Op. 11 Bagatelles. In the latter’s “Spinning Top”, for example, compare Bjørkøe’s capricious accents and detached articulation to Roscoe’s suave dispatch, and you’ll find both convincing. On the other hand, more tightly-knit tempo relationships and cumulative unity emerge from Roscoe’s steadier, more disciplined shaping of the Chaconne, the Op. 8 Symphonic Suite’s Andante, and the large-scale Theme and Variations Op. 40 (arguably Nielsen’s greatest piano work). For overall consistency, choose Roscoe’s Nielsen as a point of reference, yet CPO’s closer, warmer sonics help make the case for Bjørkøe’s finest playing.
