The success story began in Stockholm, in September 1997, when ACT’s label boss, Siggi Loch, discovered the painting "It´s snowing on my piano" by Ardy Strüwer in Nils Landgren’s flat. The next day, in Oslo, he suggested to Bugge Wesseltoft that he record a solo piano production "with Christmas in mind". Bugge is a declared opponent of a commercialised Christmas yet he found the idea of making a CD with Christmas music, which his young daughter would also like, interesting. In October everyone then met in the Rainbow Studio and, with his daughter Maren on his lap, Bugge began to fantasise about Christmas songs and old folk tunes. It is probably precisely this carefreeness which defines the magic of It´s snowing on my piano. Yet perhaps the fascination also lies in the fact that this is Wesseltoft’s first solo recording: you can feel the desire for discovery and originality in every sound – as they say, “the first cut is the deepest”.
Wesseltoft brings out the true beauty of the piano with an intimate sound language, the art of subtle variations and a pronounced dramaturgy. The whole wealth of his puristic piano music reveals itself in minimalism. “It’s very calming to hear Christmas songs which aren’t tacky with pathos and sentimentality but which only exude calm and tranquillity which is suited to the period in between the end of one year and the start of the next,” Jazzthetik wrote about Wesseltoft’s interpretational approach.
act records
