"Noël" was written in December 1997 as a christmas gift to a dear friend who has a nice set of fingers and an excellent piano. I set out to write a piece that would be a viable alternative for "Jingle Bells". I also meant the piece to be played by pianists who like the notes to fall somewhat easy under the hands and who like showing off the instrumentŐs range and making it sound delicate, strong and impressive at the same time. In the spirit of an "Albumblatt", "Noël" is indeed a playful character piece that, in spite of its initial serenity, need not be taken too seriously. Yet, its distinctively "French" flavor, its obvious impressions of church- instead of jingle bells combined with its improvisatory character will lead to few other conclusions than that the piece turned out just a bit different than planned.