Merry Christmas Pianomania (LP)

Merry Christmas Pianomania (LP)
Composer Jeroen van Veen
Artist Jeroen van Veen piano
Format 1 LP
Cat. number 90030
EAN code 5063758900300
Release October 2025

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About this release

This LP features Christmas music for the piano in a timeless journey through the decades and centuries. These songs have been through a remarkable evolution over the course of several centuries, with the changes they have undergone reflecting the shifting musical styles and cultural influences that prevailed in various times.
The development in popularity of the piano as a household instrument in the 19th century contributed to the spread of traditional Christmas carols and tunes. Christmas songs were made more approachable to a wider audience because of the attractive piano arrangements that composers such as Felix Mendelssohn and Franz Liszt devised for them. Then, throughout the 20th century, Christmas songs were composed in a wide variety of musical styles. Jazz, blues, and popular music were all significant influences on composers during this period. Composers such as Irving Berlin created Christmas songs centred around the piano that went on to become instant classics. An example that epitomizes this era is Irving Berlin’s ‘White Christmas’. The growth of Christmas carols arranged for piano is a monument to the everlasting spirit of the Christmas holiday as well as the development of musical styles throughout the course of history.
For this LP, Jeroen van Veen has collected both well-known and lesser-known Christmas songs from all over the world and arranged many of them for his own piano performance. The programme is freely, alternating slow with up-tempo and virtuosic with intimate songs. Some of the tracks are medleys combining two or more songs. Highlights include the ‘Christmas Fantasy’ by Alexander Rosenblatt, a virtuoso piece that combines several tunes, and the Fred Oldenburg version of ‘Silent Night’, written in answer to a challenge from some of the jazz teachers at the Enschede conservatory to use the strangest chords to harmonise the well-known song.
Dutch pianist, pioneer and champion of Minimalism Jeroen van Veen plays the piano in his inimitable way: focused, serene and hypnotizing. Praise for Jeroen van Veen on Brilliant Classics: ‘Van Veen is quite brilliant in the quirky fourth [Philip Glass Etude] and his reading of the exquisite, valedictory 20th is excellent.’ Gramophone. ‘Jeroen van Veen’s recording can stand alongside the best from any source, and this [Arvo Pärt] set is worthy of high praise in every regard.’ MusicWeb International. ‘Van Veen is a supremely eloquent performer of his own music. His touch is remarkably varied, carrying none of the hammered urgency of, for example, Michael Nyman’s performances of Nyman.’ Fanfare.

Track list

Disk 1

  1. Jeroen van Veen: Silent Night (Arr. by Danny Calhoun, Jeroen van Veen)
  2. Jeroen van Veen: The First Noel (Arr. by Danny Calhoun, Jeroen van Veen)
  3. Jeroen van Veen: Come, All Ye Faithful & Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee (Arr. by B. Johnson, Jeroen van Veen)
  4. Jeroen van Veen: What Child Is This? & Away in a Manger (Arr. by Danny Calhoun, Jeroen van Veen)
  5. Jeroen van Veen: Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! (Arr. by Dan Coates, Jeroen van Veen)
  6. Jeroen van Veen: Jingle Bells (Arr. by Brian Chung, Jeroen van Veen)
  7. Jeroen van Veen: O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Arr. by Danny Calhoun, Jeroen van Veen)

Disk 2

  1. : White Christmas (Arr. by Jeroen van Veen)
  2. : O Christmas Tree & We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Arr. by Jeroen van Veen)
  3. : Christmas Fantasy
  4. : Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Arr. by Jeroen van Veen)
  5. : Fantasy on Ode to Joy (Arr. by Danny Calhoun, Jeroen van Veen)
  6. : We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Arr. by B. Johnson, Jeroen van Veen)