Four Stars: a fine program of Satie miniatures.


SATIE Petite ouverture á danser. Facheux exemple. Effronterie. Airs á faire fuir 1-3. Son binocle. Profondeur. Idylle. Aubade. Méditation. Nocturnes 1-3. Froide songerie. Prélude canin. Deux réveries. Prélude de la porte héroique du ciel. Songe-creux. Caresse. Póesie. Désespoir agréable. Nostalgie. Préludes 1-3  Christina Bjørkøe (pn)  OUR 8.226929 (59:45).
Christina Bjørkøe has chosen a varied selection of Erik Satie’s piano music for this program, mixing some frequently played fare with some lesser-known material, music covering the years 1888-1919. Until now, I was only familiar with her recordings of Danish composers Gade and Nielsen, which were both excellent. On this disc she brings the same care for detail, projected with a very attractive tone. Her application of subtle rubato personalizes these interpretations and sets them apart from other recordings by high profile artists like Thibaudet, Ciccolini and Queffélec. Satie’s trademark dreamy nostalgia is rendered with just the right feel for line and atmosphere. The three late Nocturnes from 1919 come off particularly well, as do the Deux réveries. These pieces are all delicate miniatures, none longer than four and a half minutes.
If you wish to explore Satie in detail, you will need to look to the complete sets of Thibaudet or Ciccolini. But if you are in the market for a selection, this will do quite nicely. Sound engineering here is fine, and the album includes a biographical essay on Satie by Torben Enghoff. Recommended for anyone interested in early French modernism. Michael Vaillancourt