Jean Sibelius
Jean Sibelius wrote music steeped in northern light, from the seven symphonies and Finlandia to intimate cello pieces, lullabies and songs that carry the same cool passion in miniature.
The symphonies form the spine of his output, moving from late-Romantic sweep toward a leaner, granite clarity. Around them stand tone poems drawn from the Kalevala and the Finnish landscape, the Violin Concerto with its dark lyric line, and Finlandia, whose hymn-like close has travelled far beyond the concert hall. Smaller forms hold the same northern colour. The Four Pieces for cello and piano, Op. 78, pass from a passionate Romance through a quiet Religioso to a light Rigaudon. A Berceuse from Op. 79 and songs such as The Tryst show how little space he needed to say a great deal. Nature, myth and a fierce sense of place run through almost everything he wrote.
Compositions by Jean Sibelius appear on
Close Your Eyes and I'll Close Mine: Lullabies Old and New
Lullabies (or berceuses) have been around as long as humans have been singing their children to sleep. This CD presents a unique collection of mostly modern lullabies, many written for this project.
A Virtuoso Recital: David Stanhope Piano
This is the third solo CD that David has recorded for Tall Poppies (see also Virtuoso Transcriptions, TP088, and David Stanhope Plays, TP135). The centrepiece is Rachmaninoff's Preludes, Op. 32, which he plays magnificently.