Composer: Einar Englund
Performer: Laura Mikkola
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Toccata
Catalogue: TOCC0356
Release: 2017
Size: 1.05 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Prelude and Fughetta: Hommage à Bach
01. Prelude
02. Fughetta
Piano Sonatina No. 2 “The Parisian”
03. I. Allegro con brio
04. II. Andante
05. III. Vivace
06. Preludium
Pavane & Toccata
07. Pavane. Adagio
08. Toccata. Allegro marcato
09. Humoresque
10. Little Toccata
Sonatine in D Minor
11. Sicilienne
Mitä kanat kertovat (What the hens tell)
12. What the Hens Tell
Menninkainen (The Gnome)
13. The Goblin
14. Scherzino
Preludes
15. Prelude No. 1 “Notturno”
Piano Sonatina No. 1 in D Minor
16. I. Allegro con brio
17. II. Sicilienne
18. III. Scherzo-Finale
Sinuhe
19. I. Dance of Sinuhe
20. II. Dance of Nefer
21. III. Sinuhe and Nefer-Nefer
22. IV. Dance of Kaptah and the Girls
23. V. War Dance of Horemheb
Introduzione & Toccata
24. Introduzione
25. Toccata
Piano Sonata No. 1
26. I. Introduzione ed allegro
27. II. Notturno
28. III. Scherzo-Finale
29. The Lauttasaari Rotary Club Festive March
Einar Englund (1916–99) was not only one of Finland’s major symphonists; he wasalso one of his country’s most important pianists.
He was destined for a virtuoso career until he damaged a finger as a soldier in theBattle of Bengtskjär in the ‘Finnish Continuation War’ in 1941 – but when he laterdiscovered the bullet holes in his beret, he realised he had had a lucky escape!
Englund wrote surprisingly little for his own instrument, but the works he didproduce glitter with a Prokofievan steely strength and textural clarity.
They are also animated with the ironic humour that was typical of the composerhimself.
The pianist here is one of Finland’s finest musicians, Laura Mikkola.
The booklet essay is by Christian Holmqvist, Englund’s biographer, and is followed bya personal reminiscence of Einar Englund by Martin Anderson, founder of Toccata Classics.