Merry Christmas Pianomania
Joy to The World & O Come All Ye Faithfull
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear
he First Noel
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
O Little Town of Bethlehem & O Holy Night
Silent Night
What Child Is This? & Away in a Manger
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen & Ukrainian Bell Carol
Go, Tell It on The Mountain
Fantasy on Ode to Joy
O Come, O Come Emmanuel & Come, Thou Almighthy King
Angels We Have Heard On High & Come, Christians, Joint o Sing
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear & To God Be the Glory
Good Christian Men, Rejoice & Rejoice, the Lord is King
O Come, All Ye Faithfull & Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
Oh Worship the King & Angels from the Realms of Glory
What Child is This? & Fairest Lord Jesus
We Wish You A Merry Christmas
Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!
Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming
O Christmas Tree & We Wish You a Merry Christmas
O Holy Night
O Little Town of Bethlehem & O Come, All Ye Faithfull
Silent Night
Gesu Bambino
Jingle Bells
Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella
I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Masters in This Hall
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Wexford Carol
We Three Kings of orient Are
Bethlehem Morning
Christmas Fantasy, Alexander Rosenblatt
Stille Nacht
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
White Christmas

Jeroen Van Veen, piano

C’est à la suggestion de Jeroen van Riel, directeur général de Brillant Classics décédé en juillet 2022, que Jeroen van Veen, pianiste spécialisé dans le minimalisme et rompu aux programmes éclectiques, a enregistré ce double album de pièces de Noël pour piano. Laissant délibérément de côté les œuvres des compositeurs les plus classiques (Bach, Haendel, Mendelssohn, Liszt ou Bartok), à l’exception toutefois d’une fantaisie sur l’Ode à la joie de Beethoven, il a sélectionné et, la plupart du temps, arrangé pour piano 49 airs ou compositions puisés dans des époques différentes. On voyage donc à travers le Moyen-Âge, le Renaissance, les époques baroque, classique, romantique, moderne et contemporaine avec pour seul fil conducteur l’évocation et la célébration de Noël. Les pièces plus intimistes et lentes alternent avec d’autres plus vives et virtuoses et font régulièrement résonner des mélodies bien connues. Les deux disques sont présentés dans un boîtier en aluminium contenant, outre le livret, quatre cartes de vœu représentant des fleurs. (Emmanuel Lacoue-Labarthe)

This album features Christmas music for the piano in a timeless journey through the decades and centuries. These songs have been through a remarkable evolution over the course of several centuries, with the changes they have undergone reflecting the shifting musical styles and cultural influences that prevailed in various times. The development in popularity of the piano as a household instrument in the 19th century contributed to the spread of traditional Christmas carols and tunes. Christmas songs were made more approachable to a wider audience because of the attractive piano arrangements that composers such as Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt devised for them. Then, throughout the 20th century, Christmas songs were composed in a wide variety of musical styles. Jazz, blues, and popular music were all significant influences on composers during this period. Composers such as Irving Berlin created Christmas songs centred around the piano that went on to become instant classics. An example that epitomizes this era is Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’. The growth of Christmas carols arranged for piano is a monument to the everlasting spirit of the Christmas holiday as well as the development of musical styles throughout the course of history. For this album, Jeroen van Veen has collected both well-known and lesser-known Christmas songs and arranged many of them for his own piano performance. The programme is freely, alternating slow with up-tempo and virtuosic with intimate songs. Some of the tracks are medleys combining two or more songs. Highlights include the ‘Christmas Fantasy’ by Alexander Rosenblatt, a virtuoso piece that combines several tunes, and the Fred Oldenburg version of ‘Silent Night’, written in answer to a challenge from some of the jazz teachers at the Enschede conservatory to use the strangest chords to harmonise the well-known song. Packaged to make it the perfect Christmas gift for music and piano lovers, the two CDs come in an attractive tin along with four festive postcards featuring sunflowers in winter.