Piano Pieces to learn over the Festive Season


03 December 2025
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At this time of year – as nights draw in, air grows crisp, and urchins longingly press cherubic faces against frosty toy shop windows – we are delighted to present our favourite piano pieces evoking the festive season – so dive in and start learning!

 

 

Chopin 'Winter Wind' Etude Op 25 No 11

 

Watch Beatrice Rana's stunning performance: 

 

 

 

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Debussy: The Snow is Dancing from Children's Corner

 

Performed by the legendary Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli: 

 

 

 

Franck: Vieux Noël in G minor

 

Grieg: Bell Ringing, Lyric Piece Op 54 No 6

 

Grovlez: Petites litanies de Jésus

 

Holst arr. Bertenshaw: In the Bleak Midwinter

 

Performed by our very own Chenyin Li (the sheet music can be found inside Pianist issue 135): 

 

 

 

Liszt: Christmas Tree Suite S.186

 

Lyapunov: Chanteurs de Noël Op 41 No 3

 

MacDowell: By Smouldering Embers 

 

Again, performed by Chenyin Li: 

 

 

 

MacDowell (again!): Winter, No 4 from 4 Little Poems Op 32

 

Here performed by Ivan Gusev:

 

 

 

Mendelssohn: Six Christmas Pieces Op 72

 

Palmgren: Snowflakes Op 57 No 2

 

Played by Shoko Kuroe:

 

 

 

 

Rebikov: Waltz from The Christmas Tree Op 21

 

Chenyin Li again: 

 

 

 

Schumann: Wintertime from Album for the Young Op 68

 

Tchaikovsky: December from The Seasons Op 37a

 

Performed by Seong-Jin Cho: 

 

 

 

Trad. arr. Bertenshaw: Silent Night

 

Chenyin's final appearance here (the sheet music is inside Pianist issue 123):