Palmgren / Somero Complete Piano Works 2 CD

Selim Palmgren, a student of Busoni, was one of the most prominent Finnish composer-pianists of his time, and his pieces for pedagogical use such as Kev?tauerta ('Spring Haze') are still popular today. This programme reveals Palmgren's versatility to the full, with the Deux contrastes describing opposite poles of melancholy and joyous playfulness, and the dreamy Prelude-Nocturne a jazz-tinted reminiscence of 1920s America. Displaying a wide variety of technical and stylistic challenges, Palmgren's 24 Preludes also features one of the first examples of Impressionism in Nordic piano literature.

1. Konsertetyd (Concert ?tude) in C Major 2. *2 Contrastes (Contrasts) 3. No. 1. Les adieux (The Farewell) 4. No. 2. Arlequin (Harlequin) 5. Valssi l?nsisuomalaiseen tapaan (Waltz in a Western Finnish Style) 6. Kev?tauerta (Spring Haze) 7. *3 Klaverst?cke (3 Piano Pieces), Op. 32 8. No. 1. Im Walzertakt (In Waltz Rhythm) 9. No. 2. Auf dem Wasser (On the Water) 10. No. 3. Im Polkatakt (In Polka Rhythm) 11. *3 Preludes, Op. 84 12. No. 1. Preludietto 13. No. 2. Prelude-Nocturne 14. No. 3. Prelude-Caprice 15. *24 Preludes, Op. 17 16. No. 1. Andante 17. No. 2. I folkton (In Folk Style) 18. No. 3. Allegretto con grazia 19. No. 4. Tempo di valse (poco moderato) 20. No. 5. Presto 21. No. 6. Sarabande: Andante cantabile 22. No. 7. Un poco mosso 23. No. 8. Allegro feroce. Furioso 24. No. 9. Vaggvisa (Cradle Song): Tranquillo 25. No. 10. I folkton (In Folk Style): Andante semplice 26. No. 11. Dr÷mbild (Dream Picture): Vibrato (non troppo presto) 27. No. 12. Havet (The Sea): Allegro feroce 28. No. 13. Veloce 29. No. 14. Pesante 30. No. 15. Ringdans (Round Dance): Con grazia (Allegro) 31. No. 16. Andante con moto 32. No. 17. Allegro agitato 33. No. 18. Duo: Rubato 34. No. 19. F?gels?ng (Bird Song): Allegro giocoso 35. No. 20. In memoriam: Lugubre 36. No. 21. Un poco mosso 37. No. 22. I folkton (In Folk Style) 38. No. 23. Venezia: Malinconico 39. No. 24. Kriget (The War): Allegro marziale