FRANZ LEHÁR (1870-1948): Polonaise Royale, Valse Américaine, Mazurka in A, Printemps d'amour, Danse exotique, Sons d'Ischl, Ländler in B, Humeurs d'automne, Plaisanterie, Valse des fleurs, Menuet in D, Caprice-Valse, Pfingstrosen, Sonatine all'antica in G, Op. 27, Piccole Cose, Op. 49/1, Weihnachtswalzer.

Description: Well, Lehár had to do something when he wasn't working on his latest operetta and sometimes, he wrote piano pieces. A glance at the titles above will tell you that they are predominantly light, melodic salon pieces (the first dozen of which listed above date from 1906-09, the period of The Merry Widow and The Count of Luxembourg). The very attractive, neo-baroque Sonatine and "Christmas Waltz" are teen-age works while the 1922 "Peonies Waltz" is evidence of the post-war melancholy which afflicted the composer. World premiere recordings. Karl Macourek (piano).