Jeroen Van Veen Merry Christmas Pianomania LP/Vinyl

This LP features Christmas music for the piano in a timeless journey through the decades and centuries. These songs have undergone a remarkable evolution over several centuries, with their changes reflecting shifting musical styles and cultural influences across different eras. The piano's rise as a household instrument in the 19th century helped spread traditional Christmas carols through attractive piano arrangements by composers like Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt. During the 20th century, Christmas songs embraced diverse styles including jazz, blues, and popular music. Composers such as Irving Berlin created piano-centered Christmas classics, epitomized by 'White Christmas'. This evolution demonstrates both the enduring spirit of Christmas and musical development throughout history. For this LP, Jeroen van Veen has collected both familiar and obscure Christmas songs worldwide, arranging many for his own performances. The program freely alternates between slow and up-tempo pieces, virtuosic and intimate arrangements, including medleys combining multiple songs. Highlights include Alexander Rosenblatt's virtuosic 'Christmas Fantasy' and Fred Oldenburg's harmonically adventurous 'Silent Night' version, created in response to a jazz harmony challenge. Dutch pianist and Minimalism champion Jeroen van Veen performs with his signature focused, serene style. Critics praise his Brilliant Classics recordings: 'Van Veen is quite brilliant…' (Gramophone); '…worthy of high praise in every regard' (MusicWeb International); '…a supremely eloquent performer' (Fanfare).