Subscribe to Dacapo's newsletter

Christina Bjørkøe collects 12 new etudes by Danish composers on 'Animal Universe'

© Thorbjørn Fessel

Christina Bjørkøe collects 12 new etudes by Danish composers on 'Animal Universe'

On 23 April a new album is released, presenting 12 newly written works using animals as a common theme commisioned and recorded by one of Denmark's leading musicians, pianist Christina Bjørkøe.

New release
19 April 2021

Why has the etude proved such a durable musical form? Maybe because of the challenge, irresistible to composers, of finding aesthetically pleasing solutions to varied technical propositions. Pianist Christina Bjørkøe has an inspired answer to that question. twelve sets of animal etudes from 12 different composers.

Piano cycle by contemporary composers

"It has always been a dream of mine to commission piano works from Danish composers", writes the pianist and pedagogue Christina Bjørkøe in the preface to the set of 12 etudes she ordered from as many composers in the last years of the 2010s. "Suddenly the idea arrived to commission a cycle of piano etudes using animals as a common theme".

On Animal Universe one can experience among others Anders Koppel's humble short-legged badger, Eva Noer Kondrup's playful and thoughtful seal, Amir Mayhar Tafreshipour's Persian cheetah and Birgitte Alsted's turtle, slowly yet purposefully creeping, in each etude more and more prone to awaken suddenly with a spurt of energy.

Animal Universe also features works by Anders Nordentoft, John Frandsen, Peter Bruun, Anders Brødsgaard, Ande Pape, Karsten Fundal, Mogens Christensen and Erik Ørum von Spreckelsen.

Music with an educational intent

Each etude is conceived in three movements according to a design scheme laid down by Bjørkøe: a "Concert etude" is combined with what she describes as two "younger siblings – a light etude for intermediate students and a very simple etude for beginner".

"By connecting the etudes to an animal, they also gained a stronger poetic content that both children and adults have the opportunity to relate to", writes Bjørkøe’s conservatoire colleague and composer on the album Mogens Christensen in his preface to the cycle, which is also targeted piano students at very different levels.

On the release date 23 April, the sheet music for Animal Universe is also to be released on Edition Wilhelm Hansen.

Stream Animal Universe here..

Christina Bjørkøe has released a number of solo recordings at Dacapo and appears on several albums with Danish composers.
  • Anders Koppel, Anders Nordentoft, John Frandsen, Peter Bruun, Eva Noer Kondrup, Anders Brødsgaard, Birgitte Alsted, Andy Pape, Karsten Fundal, Amir Mayhar Tafreshipour, Mogens Christensen, Erik Ørum von Spreckelsen

    Animal Universe

  • Fini Henriques

    Piano Pieces

  • Vagn Holmboe

    Works for violin and piano

  • Poul Rovsing Olsen

    Piano Concerto and Orchestral Works

  • Niels Viggo Bentzon

    Piano Sonatas vol. 2

  • Knudåge Riisager

    Piano Works