Description:

Beginning with a Sibelius recital in 2003, Kikuo Watanabe, who is of Finnish heritage, has lovingly performed the piano music of Sibelius, and in 2015 was awarded the prestigious Sibelius Medal by the Sibelius Society of Finland, making him the world's leading authority on Sibelius piano music. The series by Kikuo Watanabe, who was awarded the prestigious Sibelius Medal by the Sibelius Society of Finland in 2015, is finally complete. Known for his symphonic poem "Finlandia," violin concertos, and symphonies, Sibelius wrote many piano works during his lifetime, many of them in the form of short pieces, and has recently attracted attention as a miniature composer. His beautiful piano pieces depicting innocent Scandinavian scenes have a mysterious charm that gently speaks to and accompanies the listener's heart. (C)RS