Selim Palmgren - Three pieces op. 54 (1916) for piano

Selim Palmgren (1878-1951) : Three pieces op. 54 (1916) 1. Raindrops 0:00 2. Valse Mignonne 2:55 3. Moonlight 7:35 Eriko Takahashi, piano Live recording from the concert "Light in the Darkness - Nature's Memory" on 19th September 2026, Kerhola (Nokia, Finland), Polónin Hall About the piece: Selim Palmgren was born in Pori. After his graduation from the Conservatory in Helsinki, he continued his piano studies in Berlin, particularly with Ferruccio Busoni. From 1921 to 1926, he taught composition at the Eastman School of Music in the United States. He undertook successful concert tours as a pianist and conductor. As a composer, he made significant contributions to the fields of piano and vocal music, including choral works and songs. Palmgren was staying in Germany when World War I broke out in 1914. However, as Finns were then under Russian rule, he was regarded as an enemy alien and forced to leave Germany. "Three Pieces," Op. 54, was composed in 1916, while he was traveling through Scandinavian countries, continuing to perform and compose after leaving Germany. This piece was premiered by the composer himself in Helsinki and was dedicated to Louis Glass, a Danish pianist with whom Palmgren became acquainted during his stay in Copenhagen in the winter of 1915–1916. (Eriko Takahashi, from the program notes) https://erikotakahashi.com/