This was something I'd had in mind for a long time..." says pianist Alexandre Tharaud, "to put together an album for the sheer pleasure of it, in collaboration with dear friends and paying tribute to the wonders of the piano duet repertoire." The aptly named 4 Hands offers 18 tracks, each just a few minutes in length, each featuring Tharaud sharing a piano keyboard with a different partner. The repertoire ranges wide - from Bach to Glass by way of such composers as Schubert, Tchaikovsky, Grieg, Fauré, Satie, Debussy, Ravel, Rachmaninoff, Ravel, and Piazzolla. 15 of Tharaud's fellow performers are celebrated pianists - among them the late Nicholas Angelich, Mariam Batsashvili, Bertrand Chamayou, David Fray, Víkingur Ólafsson, and Beatrice Rana. The other three, all stars in their musical fields, are shown in a new, pianistic light: cellist Gautier Capuçon, countertenor Philippe Jaroussky and singer-songwriter Juliette. "The piano duet is one of life's miracles," continues Tharaud. "First and foremost, it is the most intimate way of playing chamber music... It was a joy to record this album... If hearing these pieces prompts people to buy some sheet music and enjoy playing duets together - just as we did in the recording studio - then I will have achieved my aim.

Celebrated British pianist Martin Jones recorded the complete piano music of Jean Francaix (1912-1997) in 2012 on 3 CDs. This is a compilation of his best music, in which wit, sophistication and extreme virtuosity combine in one of the twentieth century's instantly recognisable voices.

Selections recorded June and October, 1991 at the Jesus-Christ Kirche in Berlin and at Siemensvilla, Berlin.

Jean Francaux In Concert

Classical Music

The legendary Syrinx Quintet performs wind quintets by Françaix, Hindemith, Ibert, and Taffanel on this critically acclaimed recording. The individual instruments merge with a rarely heard homogeneity to create an ensemble sound that is unrivaled.

The present release is a showcase of chamber music for oboe, bassoon, and piano by Jean Francaix, Daniel Schnyder, Francis Poulenc, and Heitor Villa-Lobos. Christoph Hartmann began his career as an orchestral musician in 1991 with the Stuttgart Philharmonic, and the following year moved to Berlin. A teacher since 1993 in the Berliner Philharmoniker’s Orchestra Academy, in 1999 Hartmann, together with colleagues, founded the Landsberger Sommermusiken (Landsberg Summer Music), out of which evolved the Ensemble Berlin. Matthias Racz serves as Principal Bassoon for Zurich Tonhalle Orchestra since 2003, Principal Bassoon for Lucerne Festival Orchestra, Professor at Hochschule for Music and Theatre in Zurich, & artistic director for bassoon for The Muri Competition in Muri, Switzerland. Anna Kirichenko studied piano and composition at the Neshdanova University in her home town of Odessa, Ukraine. She continued her studies in piano with Professor Hans Leygraf at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. Since her debut with the Odessa Philharmonic Orchestra, she has worked in close collaboration with orchestras throughout Russia and Ukraine.

Jean FRANÇAIX (1912–1997) was one of the finest French composers and pianists of the twentieth century. Born in Le Mans, into a family with long-standing musical traditions, he was able to develop his innate talents almost naturally from the cradle. Regular contact with outstanding musicians and seasoned music lovers encouraged his artistic development and shaped his extraordinary personality. The present release from Karolina Stalmachowska (oboe) is a program of music for pleasure. She is joined by a lineup of talented musicians including Malgorzata Wasiucionek, Maria Shetty, Konrad Bargiel, and more.