This two-volume recording presents, for the first time on disc, all of Sibelius's original, published transcriptions for solo piano.
Performer Biography
Erik T. Tawaststjerna, the pianist on this recording, is considered one of the foremost Finnish pianists today and has recorded Sibelius's complete original piano music for the BIS label.
Recording & Production
To protect Sibelius's works from American copyright infringement, publishers sometimes falsely attributed arrangements to German citizens like Paul Juon, who were protected.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Sibelius considered himself primarily a composer of orchestral music, stating, "I am a man of the orchestra... I compose piano pieces in my spare time."
Compositional Technique
Sibelius's piano transcriptions are not his "original thoughts"; he composed directly for orchestra and never added orchestration later.
Interpretation
Sibelius sometimes used his piano transcriptions to correct what he perceived as interpretative faults, such as adding 'Sempre allegro' to the 'Finlandia' hymn section to prevent overly slow performances.
Historical Context
Due to Finland not adhering to the Berne Convention on copyright, Sibelius's works were vulnerable to being copied in America.
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