I have reviewed at least 200 Christmas and holiday albums since 1998 and taught piano lessons for 40 years, so I am usually less than thrilled when the Christmas albums start coming in for review each year. That said, I am VERY excited about Rasa Vitkauskaite's A Concert Piano Christmas at Boston Symphony Hall. A Steinway Artist, Ms Vitkauskaite is an internationally-acclaimed and multiple award-winning classical pianist from Lithuania who is also a dedicated teacher and adjudicator. She has performed concerts and recitals all over the world as a solo artist, a chamber musician and with various symphony orchestras. The sixteen tracks on this Christmas album are all solo piano, and I think this quote from the press release for the album sums it up beautifully:

"In a refreshing escape from the ordinary, beloved holiday classics are transformed into world-class showpieces for concert piano. Engineered by four-time Grammy winner Brad Michel and recorded at iconic Boston Symphony Hall, this album presents a truly exceptional listening experience for those seeking for a unique and high-caliber performance."

The tracks include several pieces from The Nutcracker, a medley of carols, and a fascinating mix of Christmas tunes that demonstrate Ms Vitkauskaite's versatility as well as her stunning mastery of her instrument.

The album begins with three pieces from Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker: "Russian Dance - "Trépak," "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy" (my favorite!), and "March," all arranged by Mikhail Pletnev - pure piano magic that sets the tone of the album. Andrew Gentile's arrangement of "Sleigh Ride" stays true to the original, but also contains passages with nimble finger-work that become very jazzy and spirited - a great arrangement as well as a great performance! The medley of "Joy To the World," "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "O Holy Night" was arranged by Kyle Landry and is elegant and heartfelt. The real surprise for me was David Hicken's incredible arrangement of "Carol of the Bells," a piece I dearly love. I actually proof-read the sheet music for David's Carols of Christmas songbook back in 2013 and have performed this arrangement myself quite a few times. What a joy it is to hear it played with such a dynamic spirit! I also really like Jacob Koller's poignant and elegant arrangement of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," performed to heartfelt perfection. Koller arranged several of the other carols with jazzy rhythms and chords, but the one I think is the most fun is "Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town." Playful and upbeat, it's one of the best arrangements I've heard of the song and captures the happy magic Mr. Claus, himself. The other two selections from The Nutcracker were arranged by Karen Kornienko. "Overture in Miniature" and "Waltz of the Flowers" are somewhat more formal and classical than the first three Nutcracker selections on the album, and Ms Vitkauskaite performs them with grace and her beautiful touch. The last track on the album is Franz Liszt's arrangement of Franz Schubert's "Ave Maria," a passionate reminder of "the reason for the season," and a breath-taking close to an amazing album.

As I said at the beginning of this review, it takes a really special holiday album to get me excited, and Rasa Vitkauskaite's A Concert Piano Christmas is one of the best of the best! It is available as a CD, a download and to stream on Amazon; to download or stream from Apple Music/iTunes; and on many streaming platforms including Spotify and Pandora. Very highly recommended!