Johann Sebastian Bach: Air from Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D major (arr. Siloti)
Gustav Lange: Christmas-Fantasy for Piano after Franz Xaver Gruber
Robert Leonard: Weihnachts-Fantasie, Op. 99
Johann Sebastian Bach: Sheep may safely graze (arr. Egon Petri)
Gustav Lange: Zu Weihnachten-Fantasie
Karel Svoboda: Drei Nüsse für Aschenbrödel
Johann Sebastian Bach: Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring (arr. Wilhelm Kempff)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Twelve Variations on "Ah! vous dirai-je, maman"
Charles Gounod: Ave Maria
Robert Schumann: Knecht Ruprecht, from Album for the Young, Op. 68
Otto von Walden: Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen, Op. 22
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Marche, from The Nutcracker (arr. Mikhail Pletnev)
Fritz Helbig: Fantasy on well-known Christmas carols
Karl Thiessen: Variations on "O Tannenbaum"

With the din of commercial Christmas music coming at us from all directions around this time of year, it's sometimes difficult for classically-minded people to find refuge in their chosen style of music. Sure, there's always the traditional Christmas Carols sung by massive choirs, or arrangements thereof performed by large symphony orchestras, but what if you're looking to hear something a little more subdued and intimate.

In their gentle expression of joy, the classical music pieces curated by German pianist Caroline Fischer for this collection, mesh seamlessly with their 'Weihnachten' counterparts. This is a CD that would be right at home as the sonic backdrop to a reflective Christmas Eve sitting by the fire, or even better as the perfect setting during Christmas dinner because it simply captures your attention without being intrusive. All the pieces, including the Christmas fantasies and variations, are performed with classical expressivity and earnestness. This award-winning concert pianist understands that less is more, and that subtle dynamic shifts and self-effacing expressive gestures go a long way.

Within the booklet notes, Caroline Fischer explains: "I started looking for Christmas piano scores, researched for a long time, and (sometimes in antiquarian bookshops) found what I was looking for. This CD is a mixture of well-known melodies, especially beautiful rarities, and still-unknown arrangements for piano, some of which have never been recorded on CD. It is an exquisite selection for classical music lovers, but also for those who simply enjoy listening to Christmas melodies."

Settle down in your cozy chair next to the glow of the Christmas tree, eggnog in hand, and bask in this delightful offering of Christmas music.