Playground

Product information

Description

I. Springfield
II. Catch Me If You Can
III. Magical Backyard
IV. Carousel
V. Chasin’ Goblins

"A couple of years ago I had a discussion with the pianist, and old friend, Henrik Måwe if it was possible to compose something that would be equally exciting for professional pianists as well as advanced piano students. Something with great emotional impact but at the same time also playful and accessible. With different technical challenges in the separate movements but nothing so virtuosic it would take years to conquer. I decided to give it a try and the result is the piano suite Playground. The idea of something playful led my inspiration to children’s games and here my own children have been a great inspiration and help. In the first movement I imagine what it might sound like if Claude Debussy traveled to the United States and by pure chance came across the cartoon character Bart Simpson (who lives in the fictional town of Springfield). In the second movement, the right and left hands play ”Catch me if you can” and I also play with the idea of what it might sound like if Prokofiev and Bach tried to write a fugato together. The third slow movement is a reflection on how children see magic everywhere and how a backyard or forest suddenly turns into a magical and fantastic landscape. In the fourth movement, we are taken on a carousel ride that may not be completely safe but all the more exciting. In the last movement, we go hunting to try to catch the unpleasant goblins. These goblins also have a surprising penchant for dancing even if it does not always end well."

– Albert Schnelzer

World premiere by Henrik Måwe – each piece was filmed separately and premiered on YouTube during 11–25 April 2022.