Childhood Tales
Isata Kanneh-Mason commented: “It was in childhood that my love of classical music first blossomed. The pieces in this album carry with them a certain nostalgia, and I feel almost a sense of longing for childhood in some of them. That wistfulness for childhood is something that I wanted to express, as I think it’s a time when one’s love of music is at its most uncomplicated. Games were as big a part of my childhood as music. It was musical…very vibrant…and very noisy. We also came up with lots of games together! Long, elaborate games often involve running around the house and making up stories. Dohnányi’s ‘Variations on a Nursery Tune’ is where this album all began. I heard it live in a concert, years ago, but knew nothing about it, not even its name: I thought it must be a Dohnányi concerto, so it was such a surprise finding out what it was. I had to play this piece. It’s so humorous, so exciting. I had such a strong reaction to it! Mozart’s Twelve Variations on ‘Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman’ was a natural twinning and it’s also a piece that I played in my childhood. It fitted very naturally, and it was lovely re-learning it.”
Track Listing:
1 Mozart: 12 Variations on ‘Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman' in C major, K265 / Var. 1
2 Var. 2
3 Var. 3
4 Var. 4
5 Var. 5
6 Var. 6
7 Var. 7
8 Var. 8
9 Var. 9
10 Var. 10
11 Var. 11
12 Var. 12
13 Dohnányi: Variations on a Nursery Tune, Op. 25 / Theme. Allegro
14 Var. 1. Poco più mosso
15 Var. 2. Risoluto
16 Var. 3. L'istesso tempo
17 Var. 4. Molto meno mosso (Allegretto moderato)
18 Var. 5. Più mosso
19 Var. 6. Ancora più mosso (Allegro)
20 Var. 7. Walzer (Tempo giusto)
21 Var. 8. Alla marcia (Allegro moderato)
22 Var. 9. Presto - Andante rubato
23 Var. 10. Passacaglia (Adagio non troppo)
24 Var. 11. Choral (Maestoso)
25 Finale fugato. Allegro vivace
26 Debussy: Children's Corner / I. Doctor Gradus ad Parnassum
27 II. Jimbo's Lullaby
28 III. Serenade for the Doll
29 IV. The Snow Is Dancing
30 V. The Little Shepherd
31 VI. Cakewalk
32 Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15 / No. 1, Von fremden Ländern und Menschen
33 No. 2, Kuriose Geschichte
34 No. 3, Hasche-Mann
35 No. 4, Bittendes Kind
36 No. 5, Glückes genug
37 No. 6, Wichtige Begebenheit
38 No. 7, Träumerei
39 No. 8, Am Kamin
40 No. 9, Ritter vom Steckenpferd
41 No. 10, Fast zu ernst
42 No. 11, Fürchtenmachen
43 No. 12, Kind im Einschlummern
44 No. 13, Der Dichter spricht