Froundjian,Peter Christmas Piano Music CD

Christmas is traditionally celebrated with contemplative and solemn music. Even though the piano was not originally regarded as a sacred instrument, there have been many composers, including some famous ones, who have written Christmas music for the instrument. Pianist Peter Froundjian, who has made a speciality of performing little-known piano music and who founded the internationally acclaimed festival "Rarit?ten der Klaviermusik" (Rarities of Piano Music) that has taken place in Husum every year since 1987, has chosen some of the most beautiful of these pieces for the present album. Sn?flingor (Snowflakes) by the Finnish composer Selim Palmgren (1878-1951) uses Impressionistic stylistic resources to paint a picture of gently falling snowflakes, while the little fantasia Dr?mmen om "Glade Jul" (The Dream of "Silent Night") by Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) is a reworking of the melody of Silent Night. Busoni's Sonatina in diem Nativitatis Christi, the world-premiere recordings of No?l and Pastorale by Ignacy Friedman (1882-1948) and the twelve Pastorales by Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) are all genuine discoveries. The six short variations on the old Northumbrian carol O Dame Get Up and Bake Your Pies by Arnold Bax (1883-1953) strike a folklike tone. The album is rounded off by Christmas piano music from Pastourelles, a set of pieces by the French composer D?sir?-?mile Inghelbrecht (1880-1965), who was a close friend of Debussy.

1. 1. Selim Palmgren (1878-1951) - Snoflingor, Op. 57 No. 2 2. 2. Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) - Nuit de No?l, BV 251 3. 3. Ferruccio Busoni (1866-1924) - Sonatina in Diem Nativitatis Christi McMxvii, BV 274 4. 4. Sergej Ljapounow (1859-1924) - Nuit de No?l, Op. 41 No. 4 5. 5. Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948) - No?l, Op. 20 No. 4 6. 6. Ignaz Friedman (1882-1948) - Pastorale, Op. 20 No. 5 7. 7. Franciszek Brzeziski (1867-1944) - Praeludium (Andante Con Moto) 8. 8. Franciszek Brzeziski (1867-1944) - Fuga (Allegretto) 9. 9. J.P.E. Hartmann (1805-1900) - Juletrost 10. 10. Alfred Tofft (1865-1931) - Jule - Idyl 11. 11. Gustav Helsted (1857-1924) - Pastorale in D-Flat Major 12. 12. Carl Nielsen (1865-1931) - Drommen Om "Glade Jul" (The Dream of "Silent Night") 13. 13-24. Charles Koechlin (1867-1950) - 13-24 Pastorales, Op. 77 - Douze Pieces Pour Piano 14. 25. Andr? Jolivet (1905-1974) - Carillon 15. 26. Arnold Bax (1883-1953) - O Dame Get Up and Bake Your Pies (Variations on a North Country Christmas Carol) 16. 27-33. Desire-Emile Inghelbrecht (1880-1965) - 27-33 Pastourelles