Weihnachtsbaum (Liszt) Weihnachtsbaum (Liszt) Weihnachtsbaum (English: "Christmas Tree"; French: "Arbre de Noël") is a suite of 12 pieces written by Franz Liszt in 1873–76, with revisions in 1881. The suite exists in versions for solo piano and piano four-hands. "Weihnachtsbaum" does not demand great virtuosity, and it has been described as a distant relation of Schumann's "Kinderszenen" and Debussy's "Children's Corner". It occupies an unusual place in Liszt's output, and it may be for these reasons that it has received relatively little attention from performers. Liszt dedicated "Weihnachtsbaum" to his first grandchild Daniela von Bülow (1860-1940; daughter of Cosima and Hans von
Weihnachtsbaum (Liszt) have been intended for some collection". This latest version of "Schlummerlied" was first performed at the Aeolian Hall, New York, on 12 November 1921, by John Powell. The first recording of Liszt's "Weihnachtsbaum" was in 1951, by Alfred Brendel. This was also Brendel's own debut recording. Later recordings are by France Clidat, Leslie Howard, Rhondda Gillespie, Roland Pöntinen, Eteri Andjaparidze, Jerome Rose, Pietro Spada and Olivier Vernet. Excerpts have been recorded by Ilona Kabos, Stephen Hough and others. The version for piano four hands (S. 613) was recorded by Roberto Szidon and Richard Metzler. In 1952 Anthony Collins arranged four