Paris Impressions

Allain Leprest was a great French chansonnier. The friendship between him and Finnish jazz composer Heikki Sarmanto produced a unique series of piano works - Impressions de Paris, dedicated to Paris, a city they both loved so dearly.

Paris Impressions was made in 2003 while Sarmanto was a resident in the Cite Internationale des Arts in Paris. The view from his window inspired him: the roofs of the metropolis waking to spring, the riverboats sailing down the Seine, the hundreds of small cafes and blooming parks spread out before him were transformed by the composer's mind into musical meaning. Once a theme formed in his mind, Sarmanto would note it down as a score, sit down at the piano and start recording as he improvised variations and melodies of the theme. After playing through the song, he would listen to the recording and write down everything by ear. The result was 20 piano pieces dedicated to the city he so loved.