Weihnachtsbaum (English: Christmas Tree) is a suite of 12 pieces written by Franz Liszt (1811-1886) in 1873-76, with revisions in 1881. The suite exists in versions for solo piano and piano four-hands. It occupies an unusual place in Liszt's output, as it does not demand great virtuosity, and it may be for this reason, that it has received relatively little attention from performers. Weihnachtsbaum is a reflection of Liszt's late style, in which the former showman and virtuoso reverts to introspection, focusing on the essentials and experimenting with new forms and harmonies. As a bonus Mark Viner plays two movements from Christus, Liszt's epic oratorio, in the piano transcription of the composer. Mark Viner took the musical world by storm by his innovative concert programs and CD recordings containing rarely heard repertoire from unjustly forgotten romantic composers. His Alkan, Liszt, Thalberg, Blumenfeld and Chaminade recordings earned him 5-star reviews and Editor's Choice from Gramophone, The Guardian, Sunday Times and International Piano. An excellent scholar as well he wrote the extensive liner notes for the booklet himself. "from Viner's fingers the iridescent showers of notes cascade with scintillating exuberance [...] a blazing young British talent" (Gramophone Magazine), " [...] a supple, virtuosic player who seems to turn every technical challenge into a musical asset, excelling in repertoire that few others have touched." (International Piano Magazine).
