Christmas Piano II

On “Christmas Piano II”, Martin Stadtfeld presents fascinating piano arrangements of festive classics and original Christmas compositions, recorded on a specially prepared piano. 

Martin Stadtfeld's first, successful Christmas album was something special - the pianist recorded well-known Christmas melodies in witty, original arrangements and received much praise for his sensitivity: “Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of meeting Martin Stadtfeld could have known that his Christmas album would be the opposite of a shrill world of diode-blinking Santa Clauses. His festive sounds are sensitive and independent, while at the same time showing great respect for old songs,” wrote the critics. “Christmas Piano II” now surprises listeners with further gems from his own pen: ‘For this album, I have selected some of my favorite Christmas melodies from very different worlds and reworked, rearranged or used them as inspiration for something completely new,’ says Martin Stadtfeld. 

And so on “Christmas Piano II” there are new arrangements and adaptations of “Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern” by J. S. Bach, the “Pifa” from Handel's “Messiah”, the overture from Mendelsohn's oratorio “Paulus”, Spanish and Swedish Christmas traditionals, “Let it Snow”, “Alle Jahre wieder” . Martin Stadtfeld also created five “Mozart Variations” based on the “12 Variations on Ah, vous dirai-je Maman/Morgen kommt der Weihnachtsmann” KV 265. 

Martin Stadtfeld plays the Bavarian “Krippelied” on the album in his own version for four hands with the young pianist, successful influencer and winner of the prestigious Bach Competition in Köthen, Louis Philippson. 

Stadtfeld's new compositions were inspired by music from the Nutcracker (“Toy Soldiers Dream”), the ringing of Christmas bells (“Christmas Bells”) or the end of winter (“A New Dawn”). 

For him, the Christmas season is remarkable because “I associate memories from my childhood with the beautiful moments I experience together with my son. Music always plays a big role at this time of year,” he admits. 

This is also reflected in the unusual sound of the felt piano used: “I recorded these melodies on a special piano for a special, atmospherically dense and warm sound. We recorded the sound as directly as possible. This might give you, the listener, the feeling that you are sitting next to me while I am entrusting the music to the piano,” explains Martin Stadtfeld.