Although less well-known than his orchestral works, Sibelius' output for the piano is extensive, and we can now present the second instalment of music for solo piano in the BIS Sibelius Edition.

The music on this second set was written between 1905 and 1931, and includes the Three Sonatinas, widely seen as some of Sibelius’s finest piano works, as well as the five pieces from the composer’s Op.75, commonly known as ‘The Trees’.

Among the several world première recordings in this collection we find an Adagio written for his wife Aino’s birthday in 1931, Sibelius’s last composition for piano and his only one for piano four-hands.

Included are also a number of Sibelius’ own transcriptions, mainly of music he had composed for stage performances of plays such as Pelléas et Mélisande. A special case in this category is the four minute long reworking for the piano of an original bell melody written in 1912 for Helsinki’s newly built Kallio Church.

All recordings included are previously unreleased and 14 pieces are world première recordings.

Contents:
CD 1 [75'57]
- Pelléas and Mélisande), Op.46: Incidental music to the play by Maurice Mæterlinck - Concert Suite
Piano transcription by the composer

- Belshazzar’s Feast), Op.51: Incidental music to the play by Hjalmar Procopé - Concert Suite
Piano transcription by the composer

- Ten Pieces, Op.58

CD 2 [72'42]
- Pan and Echo, Op.53
Piano transcription by the composer
World Première Recording

- Three Sonatinas, Op.67

- Two Rondinos, Op.68

- Kellosävel Kallion kirkossa, Op.65b (The Bells of Kallio Church)
Piano transcription by the composer

- From Scaramouche, Op.71: Incidental music to the pantomime by Poul Knudsen and Mikael Trepka Bloch
Piano transcriptions by the composer (Wilhelm Hansen)
∙ Danse élégiaque
∙ Scène d’amour

- Spagnuolo, JS 181

- Till trånaden (To Longing), JS 20

- Four Lyric Pieces, Op.7

- Five Pieces (‘The Trees’), Op.75

- Syringa [Op.75 No.6]
World Première Recording

CD 3 [69'53]
- Thirteen Pieces, Op.76

- From Jokamies (Jedermann/Everyman), Op.83: Incidental music to the play by Hugo von Hofmannsthal
Piano transcriptions by the composer
World Première Recording (Manuscript / Breitkopf & Härtel)
∙ Episodio
∙ Scena
∙ Canzone

- Five Pieces (‘The Flowers’), Op.85

- Mandolinato, JS 123

- Jääkärien marssi (March of the Finnish Jaeger Batallion) Op.91a

- Partiolaisten marssi (Scout March), Op.91b

- Six Pieces, Op.94

- Two Pieces for Oscar Parviainen
∙ Andantino, JS 201
‘To O Parviainen from his old, faithful, grateful friend Jean Sibelius’
World Première Recording
∙ Con passione, JS 53
World Première Recording

- Three Pieces, Op.96

CD 4 [76'01]
- Six Bagatelles, Op.97

- Suite mignonne, Op.98a (Piano transcription by the composer)

- Suite champêtre, Op.98b

- Eight Short Pieces, Op.99

- Suite caractéristique, Op.100 (Piano transcription by the composer)

- Five Romantic Compositions, Op.101

CD 5 [51'44]
- Morceau romantique sur un motif de M. Jacob de Julin, JS 135b

- Ett ensamt skidspår (A Lonely Ski-Trail), JS 77a (for recitation and piano - Lasse Pöysti, recitation)

- Five Esquisses, Op.114

- Adagio, JS 161 ‘Rakkaalle Ainolle’ (‘To My Beloved Aino’) for piano four hands (Peter Lönnqvist, piano 2)
World Première Recording

Appendix: Preliminary/Alternative Versions
- From Belsazars gästabud (Belshazzar’s Feast), JS 48: Incidental music to the play by Hjalmar Procopé
Piano transcriptions by the composer
World Première Recording
∙ No.4 Livets dans (Dance of Life)
∙ No.5 Dödens dans (Dance of Death)

- Ballade
Preliminary version of Aspen, Op.75 No.3
World Première Recording

- Granen (The Spruce)
Preliminary version of Op.75 No.5
World Première Recording

- Valse lyrique
Preliminary version of Op.96a combining material from Syringa and Granen
World Première Recording

- Valse chevaleresque
Preliminary version of Op.96c
World Première Recording
Commodo – Con energia – Presto

- Lied (Song)
Preliminary version of Op.97 No.2
World Première Recording

- Impromptu
Preliminary version of Op.97 No.5
World Première Recording

- Andantino – Allegretto
Preliminary version of Scène romantique, Op.101 No.5
World Première Recording

- In Mournful Mood
Preliminary version of Op.103 No.5
World Première Recording

- Metsälaulu (Song in the Forest)
Preliminary version of Op.114 No.4
World Première Recording

Total Time: 5h 46m 17s