Espansiva Kristoffer Hyldig & Rikke Sandbjerg

• Carl Nielsen (1865 - 1931): Saul og David, FS 25 (Version for Piano 4 Hands):
• 1 Nielsen: Saul og David, FS 25 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Allegro burrascoso 03:19
• 2 Nielsen: Saul og David, FS 25 (Version for Piano 4 Hands): Allegro violente 04:02
• Symphony No. 3, Op. 27, FS 60 "Sinfonia espansiva" (Version for Piano 4 Hands):
• 3 Nielsen: Symphony No. 3, Op. 27, FS 60 "Sinfonia espansiva" (Version for Piano 4 Hands): I. Allegro espansivo 11:31
• 4 Nielsen: Symphony No. 3, Op. 27, FS 60 "Sinfonia espansiva" (Version for Piano 4 Hands): II. Andante pastorale 08:43
• 5 Nielsen: Symphony No. 3, Op. 27, FS 60 "Sinfonia espansiva" (Version for Piano 4 Hands): III. Allegretto un poco 06:26
• 6 Nielsen: Symphony No. 3, Op. 27, FS 60 "Sinfonia espansiva" (Version for Piano 4 Hands): IV. Finale - Allegro 09:10
• Højby Riffle Club March (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands by Carl Nielsen & Kristoffer Hyldig):
• 7 Nielsen: Højby Riffle Club March (Arr. for Piano 4 Hands by Carl Nielsen & Kristoffer Hyldig) 02:27
• Total Runtime 45:38

Info for Espansiva

When Danish composer Carl Nielsen finished his Third Symphony, he spoke of the first movement as “a gust of energy and life-affirmation blown out into the wide world” and called the finale of his Third Symphony “a hymn to work and the healthy activity of everyday life” – truly a sense of optimism all-too-rare for us denizens of the 21st century! So, why a four-hand arrangement of an orchestral score you ask? In the days before mechanical recordings, four hand arrangements were both a delightful social activity and an invaluable means of making large-scale works available to gifted amateurs who might not otherwise have opportunity to hear them in concert as well as promote them to conductors and concert programmers. As pianist Rikke Sandberg and Nielsen scholar Niels Bo Foltmann describe in the booklet notes, the discovery of the manuscript of Nielsen’s OWN arrangement “Sinfonia Espansiva” was itself a tale of luck and diligent librarianship.

Also included on this all WORLD PREMIERE RECORDING album are 2 works from Nielsen’s Opera Saul & David, arranged by Nielsen for piano duet, and an oddity recently discovered in the archives of the Tivoli Amusement Park, the original four-handed sketch for the Højby Rifle Club March composed by Nielsens’ father, and arranged by Carl Nielsen/Kristoffer Hyldig.

Rikke Sandbjerg, piano
Kristoffer Hyldig, piano

Rikke Sandbjerg
has been a soloist with most Danish orchestras and the Leizig Chamber Orchestra, as well as recording piano concertos with the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, Luxembourg Philharmonic and the South Jutland Symphony Orchestra.

She has collaborated with musicians and conductors such as Sabine Meyer, Sergei Dogadin, Radek Barborak, Elsebeth Dreizig, Håkan Hardenberger, Alondra de la Parra, John Storgårds and Adam Fischer.

Most recently she has recorded a CD of solo works by Brahms and a CD of Herman D Koppel's 3rd Piano Concerto on Danacord, both with top reviews in national and international music magazines. Previous CD releases include solo works by Rachmaninoff, Brahms, Rachnaminov's 2nd Piano Concerto, Liszt's 2nd Piano Concerto and Anders Koppel's Double Concerto for piano and saxophone with Benjamin Koppel and the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, as well as chamber music and film music with the former Danish National Entertainment Orchestra. In 2024 she will release a CD of Carl Nielsen complete works/arrangements for piano with pianist Kristoffer Hyldig.

Rikke Sandberg has performed at festivals and in concert halls across most of Europe and large parts of Asia and the USA. In Denmark, she is the initiator and artistic director of the Nordic Chamber Music Festival.

Rikke Sandberg is the recipient of Anmelderringen's Artist Award, Helge and Merete Finsen's Honorary Grant, Jacob Gade's Great Grant, Aennchen & Eigil Harby's Fund Grant, Victor Schiøler's Memorial Grant and Sonning's Talent Award. She has been Classical Musician of the Year in Dagbladet Politiken, CD of the Year in P2's Amadeus and was already listed in Kraks Blå Bog at the age of 25.

Rikke Sandberg is one of the most sought-after orchestral pianists in Scandinavia and often performs in the Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Chapel Symphony Concerts, the regional orchestras and the Malmö Symphony Orchestra in large solo orchestral parts under the direction of the greatest conductors such as Luisi, Petrenko, Noseda, Schiff and many more.

Rikke Sandberg teaches major subjects and chamber music at the Royal Danish Academy of Music. She is also a frequent jury chair and member of classical competitions such as Jugend Musiziert, the Steinway Festival, Pianists in the North, Unge Spiller Klassisk and Jakob Gade's Junior Competition.

In 2025, Rikke Sandberg will record the first complete edition of Carl Nielsen's complete works for solo piano, including a number of works and arrangements by Carl Nielsen that have never before been recorded. The recording, which will take place in the Queen's Hall in The Black Diamond, is funded by Carl Nielsen and Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen's Grant and will be released on OUR Recordings in 2026.

Kristoffer Hyldig
is one of Denmark‘s leading pianists, recognized for his musicality and a highly personal, sensitive approach to music. Known for his versatility, he is in demand as a soloist, as well as chamber musician and lied accompanist, and his concerts are often broadcasted on Danish Radio. He is a founding member of Messiaen Quartet, Copenhagen, where his work comprises artistic programming as well as closely working with composers, commissioning and premiering new works.

Hyldig made his debut in 2010 at the Royal Danish Academy of Music after completing his studies with Niklas Sivelöv and Tove Lønskov. The works of Messiaen have always been an important part of his repertoire, and besides Oiseaux Exotiques, the complete songs and Quartet for the End of Time, Hyldig also performed Turangalîla Symphony with the Royal Danish Orchestra conducted by Michael Boder. Gramophone Magazine, UK, selected his recording of Messiaen’s Harawi with Hetna Regitze Bruun as an Editors’ Choice.

In 2009 Hyldig received the jury’s special prize in the EU Piano Competition in addition to being awarded the Jacob Gade’s Grant, Léonie Sonning’s Talent Prize and the Danish Music Critic’s Artist Prize. He has also participated in several Zentropa movies both in the soundtrack and on screen as well as providing incidental music used in plays at The Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. His recording of Messiaen’s Vingt Regards sur l’enfant Jesus, released in 2023, received overwhelming reviews both nationally and internationally, and received the Danish Radio P2 Award as Album of the Year 2023; the leading Danish newspaper Politiken awarded the release as Best CD of the year 2023.

This album contains no booklet.