Complete Piano Works, Vol. 9

Description

Selim Palmgren was one of the most famous pianists and composers of the years preceding the First World War. His vast and largely unknown piano oeuvre is presented in this highly acclaimed series by Jouni Somero, the great contemporary interpreter of the Finnish composer - this is the first complete recording of his piano music. This ninth volume of the series includes the virtuosic and demanding Fantaisie op. 6, one of Palmgren’s most captivating works, as well as pieces influenced by Impressionism and Nordic folklore. It also features miniatures such as études, waltzes, and pieces imbued with the charm of Chopin. Most of the recordings are world premieres. Jouni Somero is one of the most active contemporary Finnish pianists, with more than 3,500 concerts given worldwide. He studied piano in Switzerland and at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne with Professor Herbert Drechsel, and deepened his knowledge of the music of Franz Liszt under the guidance of the legendary Hungarian pianist Georges Cziffra. The American virtuoso Michael Ponti was also a musical advisor to Jouni Somero. Jouni Somero’s recording career began in 1989 (with Liszt’s 12 Études d'exécution transcendante), and since then he has recorded more than 100 albums for various labels. His extensive repertoire includes the complete solo piano works of Sergueï Rachmaninov, Piotr Tchaïkovski and Sergueï Bortkiewicz, as well as rarely performed pieces by composers such as Charles-Valentin Alkan, Leopold Godowsky, Anton Rubinstein, Hugo Reinhold, Benjamin Godard, César Cui and Louis Moreau Gottschalk. He has also made several piano arrangements of orchestral works, operas and pop music, and his YouTube channel has accumulated millions of views.