Selim Palmgren, a Finnish composer, was known as 'the Chopin of the North' due to his established reputation as a Nordic master of the piano.
Compositional Technique
Palmgren's compositional style was rooted in rich late-Romantic harmonies, occasionally incorporating impressionistic and modernistic elements, and sometimes drawing from Finnish folk music.
Composition History
Palmgren composed his Pastorale in Three Scenes in Helsinki during the Finnish Civil War in early spring 1918, yet the music contains no reflection of the conflict.
Composition History
Palmgren's Fifth Piano Concerto was composed during World War II, with the composer stating he wrote it 'to the accompaniment of bombs exploding'.
Compositional Technique
The Exotic March, originally a piano piece from 1915, was later transcribed for orchestra by Palmgren and features a restrained form of Oriental exoticism, similar to that found in Sibelius's Belshazzar's Feast.
Performer Biography
Pianist Janne Mertanen won the International Chopin Competition in Darmstadt, Germany, and the Nyborg Nordic Competition in 1992.
Critical Reception
Composer Jean Sibelius praised Palmgren's Fifth Piano Concerto, calling it 'by far the best thing he had ever written' after hearing its premiere on the radio.
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