BOHUSLAV MARTINU (1890-1959): Complete Piano Music, Vol. 7 - A Fairy-Tale of Goldilocks, H.28, From Andersen's Fairy-Tales, H.42, Ballade - Chopin's Last Chords, H.56, Merry Christmas, H.286bis, The Little Lullaby, H.122bis, La Danse, H.177, Le train hanté, H.258, Prélude, H.178, Foxtrot, H.123bis, Spring, H.127ter, Children's Pieces, H.221, Avec un doigt, H.185.

Description: The latest batch of new Martinu: everything here is a world premiere recording except Le train hanté and Avec un doigt. Goldilocks and From Andersen's are the largest at 14 and 17 minutes respectively. The former dates from 1910 and is a four-movement suite of which the longest, the first, opens with quotations from Strauss' Elektra (only premiered the year before) and probably represents Martinu's working-out of an unrequited love. The rest of this and of 1912's six-movement Andersen suite are stylized dances and character pieces. The remaining pieces are miniatures dating from throughout Martinu's career, following his varied stylistic periods accordingly. Giorgio Koukl (piano).