***** A fine debut of a pianist with interpretive individuality.

SCHUMANN Kinderszenen, op. 15. Fantasie, op. 17. SIBELIUS Impromptu, op. 24, no. 1. Nocturne, op. 24, no. 8. Romance, op. 24, no. 9. Impromptu, op. 5, no. 5  David Munk-Nielsen (pn)  OUR 8.226938 (65:30) Reviewed from a FLAC download: 44.1 kHz/16-bit
This album, titled “Between Fire and Silence,” presents the debut of pianist David Munk-Nielsen. Munk-Nielsen is obviously a gifted player with outstanding technique, but more important, he displays a real interpretive flair that produces an interesting and individual take on this material.
Juxtaposing the piano music of Schumann and Sibelius proves an enlightening idea, exposing some interesting links between the two composers, connections that can easily be overlooked, given Sibelius’s primary identity as a symphonist. The character pieces of Sibelius, extracted from his Op. 5 and Op. 24 collections, show the clear influence of Schumann in their striking thematic ideas and adherence to early nineteenth-century genres. The op. 24 Impromptu projects a powerful, dramatic Affekt that is brought out clearly by Munk-Nielsen. Its sibling from the earlier op. 5 features unusually crystalline passagework by the pianist, something that recurs throughout the entire album.
Schumann’s Kinderszenen receives a sympathetic reading with each number well characterized and inner voices brought out clearly. Träumerei has a nice sense of line and projects a real feeling of inwardness. In Der Dichter spricht, Munk-Nielsen’s phrasing is imaginative, using hesitation and silence to excellent effect.
Some might say that the main event here is Schumann’s Fantasy, op. 17. This piece creates a much different set of challenges for the pianist than the other music on the album. Its large-scale structures require careful long-range planning while still retaining a feeling of spontaneity. In the opening movement the sudden digression just after the start of the recapitulation that Schumann labeled Im Legendenton is done forcefully, starting with introspection but building to a powerful climax. It creates a more dramatic effect than most pianists aim for and it sets the section apart from the rest of the movement more emphatically than is usually the case. The end of the movement is quite striking, Munk-Nielsen contrasting staccato and legato phrasing in succeeding phrases to a degree I have not heard before. In the second movement Trio, the pianist uses rubato tellingly to create much attractive nuance. The finale is the trickiest movement to bring off, but Munk-Nielsen places the two climaxes perfectly, the second just a bit more powerful than the first. As in all of the music on the album, inner voices are unusually clear, exposing much rarely heard detail.
It has become clear with recent releases that OUR is producing some of the best sound engineering in the business. This disc is no exception. All in all, a very successful and satisfying debut disc, highly recommended. Michael Vaillancourt