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Track(s) taken from CDA67591/2

Fest-praeludium Ved Aarhundredskiftet 'Festival Prelude for the New Century', FS24

composer
1900; Tempo giusto; dedicated to the artist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen; published in the newspaper Politiken on 1 January 1901

Martin Roscoe (piano)
Recording details: February 2007
Potton Hall, Dunwich, Suffolk, United Kingdom
Produced by Michael George
Engineered by Tony Faulkner
Release date: June 2008
Total duration: 1 minutes 27 seconds

Cover artwork: Scutolo, 'The Marvel of Marvels' (1912). Henry Brokman-Knudsen (1868-1933)
Musée de la Ville de Paris, Musée du Petit-Palais, France / Lauros / Bridgeman Images
 

Other recordings available for download

Mina Miller (piano)

Reviews

‘These new recordings are sonically the best yet. Roscoe is famed for his touch and his playing's delicacy and finesse is evident throughout’ (Gramophone)

‘Apart from Grieg, no Scandinavian composer has written for the piano with more individuality and insight than Nielsen … Martin Roscoe is right inside this music and guides us through its marvels with great subtlety and authority. His is the most eloquent account since the pioneering set by Arne Skjøld Rasmussen. Hyperion gives him vivid and natural recorded sound and there are outstanding notes by Daniel Grimley’ (BBC Music Magazine)

‘The piano music of Carl Nielsen is notable not only for its striking emotional power and radicalism but also for its transparency—for the writing is always unmistakably Nielsen … the album as a whole is a treasure-chest; it presents an entirely new slant for those not acquainted with Nielsen's music and broadens the field of vision significantly for those who are … this deserves to become a most conspicuous recording, and Hyperion's usual excellence in achieving a full-bodied, crystal-clear sound continues boldly forward’ (International Record Review)

‘The Symphonic Suite, the Chaconne, the magnificent Theme and Variations … are powerful, poetic, original in both idea and structure, widely varied in mood, impressively organic and as important in their way as any of Nielsens' remarkable symphonies. Martin Roscoe's technique withstands everything that the composer throws at it. He obviously belives in every note, as well he might’ (The Sunday Times)

‘Martin Roscoe demonstrates throughout this revealing double CD set [that Nielsen's piano music] is a canon of work that desperately needs attention … fantastic playing of compelling authority by one of Britain's finest pianists. A wonderful discovery’ (The Herald)
The Festival Prelude for the New Century (Fest-Præludium ved Aarhundredskiftet) is a breezily confident piece, whose sustained octaves and chords recall the opening movement (‘Intonation’) of the Suite Op 8. Nielsen marks the first bar ‘stolt, pompøst’ (‘proud, pompous’), and dedicated the work to his close friend, the artist Jens Ferdinand Willumsen. The piece was published on the front page of the Danish daily newspaper Politiken on 1 January 1901.

from notes by Daniel Grimley © 2008

Le Fest-Præludium ved Aarhundredskiftet («Prélude de fête pour le nouveau siècle») est un morceau jovialement confiant, dont les octaves tenues et les accords rappellent le mouvement d’ouverture («Intonation») de la Suite, op. 8. Nielsen marque «stolt, pompøst» («fier, pompeux») la première mesure de cette œuvre dédiée à son ami intime, l’artiste Jens Ferdinand Willumsen. Elle parut à la une du quotidien danois Politiken, le 1er janvier 1901.

extrait des notes rédigées par Daniel Grimley © 2008
Français: Hypérion

Das Fest-Præludium ved Aarhundredskiftet („Fest-Präludium zur Jahrhundertwende“) ist ein frisch-fröhlich beherztes Stück, dessen ausgehaltene Oktaven und Akkorde den einleitenden Satz („Intonation“) der Suite op. 8 in Erinnerung rufen. Nielsen überschrieb den ersten Takt mit „stolt, pompøst“ („stolz, pompös“) und widmete das Werk seinem engen Freund, dem bildenden Künstler Jens Ferdinand Willumsen. Das Stück wurde am 1. Januar 1901 auf der Titelseite der dänischen Tageszeitung Politiken abgedruckt.

aus dem Begleittext von Daniel Grimley © 2008
Deutsch: Elke Hockings

Other albums featuring this work

Nielsen: Complete Piano Music
CDA66231/22CDs Rights no longer controlled by Hyperion
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