How Duo Pleyel created Christmas in April

Piano duo Duo Pleyel found themselves faced with a festive challenge when recording their Christmas album, Yuletide Treats. Recording the album at Lutherse church in the Durch city of Haarlem in April, pianists Alexandra Nepomnyashchaya and Richard Egarr offset the sunny weather outside their recording space with adjustments designed to capture an atmosphere of Christmas cheer.

© Floor van der Holst

The album, which opens with three movements from Franz Liszt’s Christmas Tree Suite, also features sections of Handel’s Messiah, arranged for piano by Carl Czerny, plus the Radetzky March by Johann Strauss and Blue Danube waltz by Johann Strauss II and Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite.

Nepomnyashchaya said: ‘We first made this programme to perform at concerts during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. While learning it, we realised how joyful it would be to record as a festive Yuletide Album! When we play this programme, no matter which time of the year we perform it, the spirit of the music totally inspires everyone, and brings a Christmas spirit with all its miracles.’

© Slava Presnyakov

As well as the music, Egarr and Nepomnyashchaya credit Christmas jumpers and hats (for both performers and recording crew) in helping them capture a festive atmosphere for the album, and their two daughters who attended the recording session in their own Christmas-themed outfits. Duo Pleyel are bringing their Yuletide Treats album to Belgium and the Netherlands this month, with concerts in Ruiselede (22 December) and Amsterdam (28 December)

Egarr said: ‘We felt that the arrangements of these needed some extra tinsel and glühwein, which we have hopefully provided. We have added some additional Yuletide decorations, with Alexandra making her recording debut on the tambourine!’

Find out more about the process of creatingYuletide Treats in Duo Pleyel's video below: