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 Kevätauerta (‘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.
Palmgren, Selim
Konsertetyd (Concert Étude) in C Major
1 Konsertetyd (Concert Étude) in C Major 02:06
2 Contrastes (Contrasts)
2 No. 1. Les adieux (The Farewell) 03:34
3 No. 2. Arlequin (Harlequin) 01:10
Valssi länsisuomalaiseen tapaan (Waltz in a Western Finnish Style)
4 Valssi länsisuomalaiseen tapaan (Waltz in a Western Finnish Style) 00:53
Kevätauerta (Spring Haze)
5 Kevätauerta (Spring Haze) 00:39
3 Klaverstücke (3 Piano Pieces), Op. 32
6 No. 1. Im Walzertakt (In Waltz Rhythm) 03:09
7 No. 2. Auf dem Wasser (On the Water) 03:08
8 No. 3. Im Polkatakt (In Polka Rhythm) 03:15
3 Preludes, Op. 84
9 No. 1. Preludietto 01:04
10 No. 2. Prelude-Nocturne 04:40
11 No. 3. Prelude-Caprice 01:02
24 Preludes, Op. 17
12 No. 1. Andante 01:35
13 No. 2. I folkton (In Folk Style) 00:55
14 No. 3. Allegretto con grazia 01:31
15 No. 4. Tempo di valse (poco moderato) 02:31
16 No. 5. Presto 00:58
17 No. 6. Sarabande: Andante cantabile 02:23
18 No. 7. Un poco mosso 01:01
19 No. 8. Allegro feroce. Furioso 01:41
20 No. 9. Vaggvisa (Cradle Song): Tranquillo 02:48
21 No. 10. I folkton (In Folk Style): Andante semplice 01:23
22 No. 11. Drömbild (Dream Picture): Vibrato (non troppo presto) 01:36
23 No. 12. Havet (The Sea): Allegro feroce 01:38
24 No. 13. Veloce 01:43
25 No. 14. Pesante 01:34
26 No. 15. Ringdans (Round Dance): Con grazia (Allegro) 01:27
27 No. 16. Andante con moto 02:25
28 No. 17. Allegro agitato 00:57
29 No. 18. Duo: Rubato 02:06
30 No. 19. Fågelsång (Bird Song): Allegro giocoso 01:07
31 No. 20. In memoriam: Lugubre 01:53
32 No. 21. Un poco mosso 01:33
33 No. 22. I folkton (In Folk Style) 00:58
34 No. 23. Venezia: Malinconico 02:56
35 No. 24. Kriget (The War): Allegro marziale 01:58
