“I consider Selim Palmgren one of Scandinavia’s greatest composers of piano music. The longer I study Palmgren’s piano scores, the more convinced I am of the importance of this project. I have designed each volume to be like a concert recital. This concept works particularly well with Vol. 2. Out of the works presented on this album, the 24 Preludes Op. 17 are worth mentioning as one of Palmgren’s most well-known piano opuses. I also wish to highlight the three preludes, Op. 84 – the Prelude-Nocturne Op. 84/2, which is a sonic masterpiece!” — Jouni Somero
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.
This recording was made on a modern instrument: Steinway, Model D
1
Konsertetyd (Concert Étude) in C Major (1906) * (00:02:06)
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2 Contrastes (Contrasts) (1899) (00:04:00 )
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2
No. 1. Les adieux (The Farewell) (00:03:34)
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3
No. 2. Arlequin (Harlequin) (00:01:10)
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4
Valssi länsisuomalaiseen tapaan (Waltz in a Western Finnish Style) () * (00:00:53)
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5
Kevätauerta (Spring Haze) (1940) * (00:00:39)
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3 Klavierstücke (3 Piano Pieces), Op. 32 (1912) (00:10:00 )
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6
No. 1. Im Walzertakt (In Waltz Rhythm) * (00:03:09)
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7
No. 2. Auf dem Wasser (On the Water) * (00:03:08)
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8
No. 3. Im Polkatakt (In Polka Rhythm) * (00:03:15)
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3 Preludes, Op. 84 (1928) (00:07:00 )
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9
No. 1. Preludietto (00:01:04)
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10
No. 2. Prelude-Nocturne (00:04:40)
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11
No. 3. Prelude-Caprice (00:01:02)
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24 Preludes, Op. 17 (1907) (00:03:00 )
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12
No. 1. Andante (00:01:35)
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13
No. 2. I folkton (In Folk Style) (00:00:55)
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14
No. 3. Allegretto con grazia (00:01:31)
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15
No. 4. Tempo di valse (poco moderato) (00:02:31)
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16
No. 5. Presto (00:00:58)
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17
No. 6. Sarabande: Andante cantabile (00:02:23)
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18
No. 7. Un poco mosso (00:01:01)
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19
No. 8. Allegro feroce. Furioso (00:01:41)
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20
No. 9. Vaggvisa (Cradle Song): Tranquillo (00:02:48)
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21
No. 10. I folkton (In Folk Style): Andante semplice (00:01:23)
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22
No. 11. Drömbild (Dream Picture): Vibrato (non troppo presto) (00:01:36)
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23
No. 12. Havet (The Sea): Allegro feroce (00:01:38)
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24
No. 13. Veloce (00:01:43)
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25
No. 14. Pesante (00:01:34)
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26
No. 15. Ringdans (Round Dance): Con grazia (Allegro) (00:01:27)
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27
No. 16. Andante con moto (00:02:25)
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28
No. 17. Allegro agitato (00:00:57)
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29
No. 18. Duo: Rubato (00:02:06)
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30
No. 19. Fågelsång (Bird Song): Allegro giocoso (00:01:07)
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31
No. 20. In memoriam: Lugubre (00:01:53)
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32
No. 21. Un poco mosso (00:01:33)
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33
No. 22. I folkton (In Folk Style) (00:00:58)
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34
No. 23. Venezia: Malinconico (00:02:56)
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35
No. 24. Kriget (The War): Allegro marziale (00:01:58)
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“The pianism of Jouni Somero has more sophisticated tones than before, and his grip is excellent for salon-like expression.” – Helsingin Sanomat
“Palmgren will be a discovery for many music lovers” – Crescendo