Piano sonatas are pre-eminent in Bomtempo’s oeuvre. They show a diverse range of influences from Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven but contain many original features, not least incendiary scalar passages and dramatic hand crossings. Full of lyricism, counterpoint and often exceptional virtuosity, these features reach a peak in the monumental Piano Sonata Op. 20, one of his most demanding piano compositions. Luisa Tender was born in Porto, Portugal in 1977. She studied piano with Anne Mennet, Helena Costa and Pedro Burmester at the Conservatorio de Musica and Escola Superior de Musica e Artes do Espetaculo in her hometown. In 1997 she became a pupil of Vitalij Margulis in Los Angeles, going on to study at the Royal College of Music in London from 2000 with Irina Zaritskaya, obtaining her Master of Music in 2002. She was later awarded the Diplome Superieur d’Execution at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, where she was a student of Marian Rybicki. Tender regularly performs as a soloist and chamber musician, and her repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary.

Classical Music

The American pianist Yvar Mikhashoff commissioned 127 of the world's leading composers to write tangos for him. Between 1983 and 1991 he received an eclectic, stylistically varied range of works that offer a unique body of contemporary tango music for the piano. Tango's origin was in the waltz and mazurka but has long embraced jazz and even electronic music. In this unique collection the span is international and individual, ranging from traditional evocations to include the twelve-tone approach of Milton Babbitt, the minimalism of Tom Johnson, and the very personal voice of Michael Nyman. Having commenced her international career at the age of eleven, Hanna Shybayeva has transformed from being a 'child prodigy' to the mature and exciting musician she is today. Her playing has been praised by both the public and the press for her deep musical interpretations, captivating energy, a great sense of form and a rich colour palette. Devoted to music in every form, Hanna enjoys her solo performances as much as being a partner in both chamber and vocal music.

Pre-order your copy today! This release is scheduled to ship on or about Friday, October 8.

Also available: 20th Century Foxtrots, Vol. 1 and 20th Century Foxtrots, Vol. 2

Gramophones and radios brought the voice of America, its fashion, its carelessness and joie de vivre into every corner of Europe during the Roaring Twenties, and no composer could remain immune to the hot jazz influences of the Foxtrot, Shimmy and Charleston. This third volume of jazzy piano dances features composers from nine Central and Eastern European countries, from Misha Spoliansky’s hypnotizing Valse Boston ‘Morphium’ to Leonid Polovinkin’s extremely entertaining and refreshingly futuristic approach to the genre. Gottlieb Wallisch continues his ‘most surprising and consistently charming recording project’ (The New York Times on Volume 2, GP814).

The uniquely influential Russian musical and theatrical dynasty of the Liadov, Antipov and Pomazansky families supplied Russian culture with nearly 20 musical and theatrical performers, conductors, composers, and ballet dancers over the course of 150 years. Including numerous world première recordings, these wonderful pièces de salon are gems of Russian dance music, full of charming grace, melodic delicacy and nobility. A quote from Anatoly Liadov can stand as representative for all: ‘such is my character: do everything so that every bar gratifies.’ Olga Solovieva is a laureate of several international competitions. In May 2019 she received the Glinka Medal for her contribution to musical art. She has performed in Russia and internationally, and has collaborated with musicians and ensembles across the globe. Dmitry Korostelyov was awarded the prize for Best Accompanist at the 2005 Rimsky Korsakov Wind and Percussion Instruments Competition in Saint Petersburg. As a pianist he has performed with the Russian State Orchestra, Volgograd Philharmonic Orchestra, and more.

Florent Schmitt was a strikingly original composer whose influences were as varied as his own restless and imaginative music. A number of his solo piano works are little known and offer an important insight into his compositional development. Neuf Pièces, Op. 27, which includes a Spanish-infused Gitanella movement, was composed during his first period of travel. The expressive and vivid elements of Crépuscules, Op. 56 are infused with harmonic richness and quiet melancholy, while Ritournelle, Op. 2 No. IIbis displays an airiness and wit characteristic of French music of the Roaring Twenties. Internationally renowned pianist, Biljana Urban, presents a selection of neglected gems of French piano literature including many world première recordings.

Polish pianist Ignaz Friedman was one of the leading virtuosos of his day as well as a composer and a master transcriber. Friedman's transcriptions are both a delight for the listener and a challenge for the performer, and his creative imagination gives these delicious, charming and moving works a life of their own. The pianistic effects are both breathtakingly bravura and disarmingly subtle while remaining faithful to the originals.

Theodore Antoniou is one of Greece’s most celebrated and prolific contemporary composers. His music integrates traditional Greek musical elements within styles ranging from the impressionism of Aquarelle to the virtuoso effects of Entrata, all approached in intuitive ways, and always with an underlying dramatic plot inspired by ancient Greek drama, resulting in the invention of “Abrstract Programmatic Music.” This programme was recorded in the presence of the composer, who considers Konstantinos Destounis “a phenomenon… a great interpreter of my complete piano works.” Konstantinos Destounis is regarded as one of the most prominent Greek artists of his generation. He is a prizewinner in many international piano competitions, most notably “Grand Prix Maria Callas” in Athens, “Southern Highlands” in Canberra, and the Bremen European Piano Competition.

Despite the popularity of Aram Khachaturian’s ubiquitous ballet music, his works for piano have been relatively neglected. This release, featuring two World Premiere Recordings, combines arrangements of popular pieces such as Masquerade – Suite (Arr. A. Dolukhanian) with less familiar works such as the composer’s early Poem and the abstract Piano Sonata. The Armenian pianist Kariné Poghosyan has won numerous awards as well as performed in some of the world’s most prestigious concert halls. At the Manhattan School of Music she completed her D.m.A. in a record-breaking two years with a thesis on Aram Khachaturian’s works for piano. She is currently based in New York, where she teaches at the Manhattan School of Music.

The Armenian and Georgian composer Sarkis Vasil'evich Barkhudarian is famed for his piano miniatures. Some are among the first piano works to use Armenian folk themes as the basis for a series of original compositions. His colorful and unusual harmonies, created by the sinuous, interweaving modes of Armenian music, are immediately attractive and his miniatures, whether full of grace or pungent dance rhythms, bear out Glazunov's admiration of his 'sincerity, elegance and harmony of form.' Mikael Ayrapetyan was born in 1984 in Yerevan, Armenia, where he had his early schooling. His repertoire ranges from the Baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed works of Armenian composers. He is actively engaged in the popularization of Armenian classical music, organizing concerts in the major concert halls of the world, and acting as producer, artistic director and pianist for these performances.

ADOLF BARJANSKY was born in Odessa into a wealthy Russian-Jewish family, and received his musical education in Vienna, Paris and Leipzig, studying piano with Carl Reinecke and Salomon Judassohn. Barjansky composed relatively few works, but his highly attractive and original piano music reveals the influence of Schubert, Beethoven and Brahms with a wealth of Russian color, as heard in the Fantasy Pieces. The 6 Piano Pieces are impressionistic and radiant, while the large-scale Piano Sonata No. 1 uses spatial sound as a principal means of expression, blending it with a highly modern simplicity and transparency of structure that anticipates 20th-century minimalism. Julia Severus began playing the piano at the age of four. She graduated from the Berlin University of Arts and from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she studied piano with Mikhail Voskresensky and Lev Naumov. Wishing to explore piano ensemble repertoire, she founded the Aurora Duo and Quartet, performing numerous premieres and world premieres, among them Rodion Shchedrin’s Hommage à Chopin in the presence of the composer, followed by a recording for two pianos, eight hands, of Russian Romantic Piano Transcriptions (Naxos 8.557717). Her solo recordings, including Tchaikovsky’s opera and song transcriptions (GP795), have been highly praised. Julia Severus lives and works in Paris and Berlin.

One of Philip Glass’ most glorious themes, this release focuses on the subject of love. From his BAFTA award-winning music for The Hours to his iconic Music In Fifths, the genius of this composer is felt throughout the duration of this album. The Hours is featured here in its entirety, complete with three previously unpublished movements. The release also includes the breathtaking Modern Love Waltz and the world premiere recording of Notes On A Scandal. Performing these works is Nicolas Horvath.

"Nicolas Horvath, with precise playing and imaginative interpretation has made Glassworlds 2 an indispensable reference for the serious enthusiast as well as marking an important milestone in the evolution of the music of Philip Glass." -- Sequenza 21

Read our blog post about Brillon de Jouy and the classical-era piano!

The thirteen sonatas on this première recording represent the complete music for solo piano by the Parisian keyboardist and composer Anne-Louise Brillon de Jouy, a musician much celebrated in her day and greatly admired by Boccherini. Introducing technical innovations more usually associated with Czerny and Liszt, these sonatas reflect a gloriously rich musical environment, incorporating and transforming elements from music of the time with great imagination and wit, and showing us that Madame Brillon’s glittering salon, though private, was by no means isolated. Nicolas Horvath is an unusual artist with an unconventional résumé. He began his music studies at the Académie de Musique Prince Rainier III de Monaco, and at the age of 16, caught the attention of the American conductor Lawrence Foster who helped him to secure a three-year scholarship from the Princess Grace Foundation in order to further his studies. He is the holder of a number of awards, including First Prize of the Scriabin and the Luigi Nono International Competitions.

REVIEW:

Brillon de Jouy's thirteen sonatas, recorded for the first time on this CD, represent all of her music for solo piano and are as technically noteworthy as they are imaginative. Nicolas Horvath’s performance is light, fluid and impresses with unaffected simplicity, which is especially beneficial to the slow movements. The recording crew has provided a direct and relatively dry piano sound, which is appropriate for this repertoire.

– Pizzicato

Selim Palmgren, a native of Finland and a student of Busoni, was one of the most prominent and prolific Nordic composer-pianists since Edvard Grieg, with works that were widely performed by some of the most notable concert pianists of his day. From early pieces influenced by Chopin via the tour de force of his only surviving Piano Sonata, to the darker Autumn Prologue – this is the first volume of a complete edition that includes première recordings of unpublished works, showcasing every side of Palmgren’s varied character. Jouni Somero (b. 1963) is one of the most active performers among present Finnish musicians. He has given over 3,100 concerts in many countries worldwide. His wide repertoire includes all the solo piano works of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky and Bortkiewicz, as well as seldom heard music by, among others, Alkan, Godowsky, Rubinstein, Reinhold, Godard, Cui and Gottschalk.

Argentinian composer, poet and teacher JOSÉ ANTONIO BOTTIROLI found his ideal means of expression in the Romantic idiom and in shorter forms of music. Exploiting the rich resources of the waltz, his pieces are infused with a remarkable range of moods, intimacies, real-life experiences and scenes from nature, as well as portraits of children and loved ones, such as the iconic Verdadero in honour of the composer’s wife – all played with the unique insights of his student and protégé Fabio Banegas. FABIO BANEGAS has appeared in recitals and as soloist in the United States, Europe and in his native Argentina. A recipient of numerous scholarships and awards in Argentina and in the US, he studied at the National University of Rosario (UNR) under Professor Nelly Gabús and Professor Anna María Cué, and earned a Masters of Music at California State University Fullerton (CSUF) under Dr Susan Svr?ek. Fabio Banegas is a specialist interpreter of the Argentinean composer José Antonio Bottiroli, of whom he was a student, and has given world premières of many of the composer’s works. He is currently based in Los Angeles.

Robert Orledge’s research into Debussy’s sketches and incomplete drafts has resulted in the unearthing and reconstruction of numerous lost masterpieces, the piano versions of which are given their première recordings here. Unknown versions of famous pieces such as La Fille aux cheveux de lin and an unused movement from Le Martyre de Saint Sébastien appear alongside the ecstatic Prélude de l’Histoire de Tristan. This uniquely valuable programme also includes the life-affirming suite for No-ja-li (Le Palais du Silence) with narration. NICOLAS HORVATH began his music studies at Monaco’s Académie de Musique et de Théâtre Prince Rainier III and soon began to make an impression on a number of artists who would become his mentors. Aged 16 he caught the attention of the American conductor Lawrence Foster before coming to the notice of several distinguished international pianists, including Liszt specialist Leslie Howard. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including First Prize at both the Scriabin and the Luigi Nono International Competitions. He has become noted for hosting concerts of unusual length, sometimes lasting over twelve hours, such as the overnight performance of the complete piano music of Erik Satie at the Paris Philharmonie before a cumulative audience of 14,000 people. In 2019 he performed alongside Philip Glass at the same venue in a programme devoted to the American composer’s piano music. Nicolas is a Steinway Artist.

Vasilije Mokranjac belonged to a prominent Serbian musical dynasty. His great musical gifts combine with an unassertive and introverted nature to create a unique catalogue of often incredibly virtuoso piano music, recorded here for the first time in it's entirety. From the first elegant Menuetto to the last Pr�lude written at the time of his tragic death, pianist Ratimir Martinovic finds Mokranjac's music 'exceptionally profound and spiritually uplifting.' Critically acclaimed pianist Ratimir Martinovic occupies a special status among artists of his generation. From his earliest days he has been uncompromisingly devoted to excellence in music performance, and has been formed into a mature artist of distinctive expression and profile. Born in Kotor, Montenegro, Martinovic studied under virtuoso Kemal Gekic at the Academy of Arts in Novi Sad where he now serves as a professor of piano. He graduated in 1999, giving a recital where he performed Bach's Goldberg Variations, Beethoven's 'Hammerklavier' Sonata, Chopin's Four Ballades, and Prokofiev's Toccata in one night. He received his Master's degree in 2002, conducting and performing the works of Mozart and Haydn, with a full-length concert featuring works by Bach. He has performed at over 700 concerts with over 60 orchestras in prestigious international venues such as the Stern Auditorium at Carnegie Hall, Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome, Shanghai Oriental Art Center, the Glenn Gould Studio in Toronto, Seoul Arts Center and the Moscow International House of Music. Martinovic is the founder and director of the KotorArt Festival in his hometown. Together with the Mokranjac family, Martinovic is the founder and president of the Vasilije Mokranjac Foundation in Belgrade

In 1832 German-born Friedrich Burgmuller settled in Paris where he became internationally admired for his salon pieces and studies. At a time when demand for new teaching material had reached unprecedented heights, he supplied a sequence of works that appealed to the amateur market by virtue of their musical interest and appropriate technical demands. Written for the burgeoning market for piano teaching material, the set of 25 Easy and Progressive Studies, Op. 100 was soon followed by the 18 Characteristic Studies, Op. 109, a continuation of the earlier set, each piece bearing a charming title. They continue to provide a basis for teaching to this day. These works are performed by Swedish pianist Carl Petersson, whose previous albums for Grand Piano have won critical acclaim.

Alexey Stanchinsky was considered an outstanding student by his teacher Taneyev, his work anticipating Stravinsky, Prokofiev and others, paving the way towards many aspects of twentieth-century style. His tragic early death and publishing difficulties meant that his music was hidden for decades. Volume 1 of this complete edition contains his entire output until 1910, including several world premiere recordings and revealing his early melodic gift and sophisticated virtuosity. Pianist Olga Solovieva was born in Moscow, graduated from the Russian Academy of Music, Moscow, and took a postgraduate course as an assistant to Leonid Blok. Since 2004 she has been a professor at the Gnessin State Musical College, and has given masterclasses in Ireland and Belgium. Solovieva was a prizewinner of the 1999 Taneyev Competition of Chamber Ensembles, a finalist of the 2000 XX Chamber Music Competition in Trapani, Italy, a 2010 Boris Tchaikovsky Society Award Winner, and was awarded the Best Accompanist Prize at the XII International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. In May 2019 she received the Russian public award for her contribution to the development of the musical art and the Glinka Medal.

The Grand Piano label is dedicated to exploring undiscovered piano repertoire by unfamiliar composers, producing high quality, often world premiere recordings, performed by virtuoso authorities in their chosen field. Marking the label's 5th anniversary, this collection is a comprehensive guide through the history of keyboard music from the invention of the fortepiano to today's living composer's, as well as taking the listener on a musical adventure thorugh a geographically global range of rare musical gems, with all of their new and exciting sounds and fresh perspectives.

Ge Gan-ru’s Twelve Preludes is heard here in the world premiere recording of its revised version. The release also features Ancient Music, in which he employs the prepared piano to evoke the intimate sounds of Chinese instruments, as well as Wrong, Wrong, Wrong! and the world premiere recording of Hard, Hard, Hard! written for toy piano. Yiming Zhang has a wide spectrum of musical interests ranging from the Baroque period to the present day. In recent years, he has pursued a particular interest in contemporary Chinese piano music, and has comprehensively researched and performed the piano music of the composer Wang Lisan. Besides this recording project of the complete piano works of Wang Lisan for Naxos, he has also written a substantial biography of the composer, for publication by the People’s Music Publishing House. In addition, he is a frequent collaborator with other contemporary Chinese composers such as Ge Gan-ru (b.1954) and Wang Xilin (b.1937).

The piano pieces here trace a trajectory from the Edwardian poetry of Leo Livens to the overdubbing of Peter Reynolds by way of a century of evocative, descriptive and exciting miniatures. Reflecting pastoral, light and experimental traditions, these previously unrecorded works offer rich variety from neglected composers. Duncan Honeybourne enjoys a colorful and unique career as solo pianist, chamber musician, educator and artistic director. He has appeared at many major concert halls and at leading festivals, and has been a frequent broadcaster at home and abroad. One of his generation's leading exponents of 20th century English piano music, several celebrated contemporary composers have also dedicated major new works to him. An inspiring teacher and educator, he has devised and written several recital programmes blending words and music and has created and directed several series of piano and chamber concerts. Duncan is also sought-after nationwide as a thought-provoking and entertaining lecturer on his experience of living with autism.

One of the leading composers of the Classical and early Romantic eras, Johann Baptist Vaňhal played a vital role in the development of Viennese music between 1750 and 1780. He composed prolifically in many genres, including a large number of quartets, symphonies, sacred works, vocal and instrumental works, including around 150 piano sonatas and sonatinas. Vaňhal was at his most inspirational and improvisational in his keyboard Capriccios composed in the 1780s, which are some of the most creative examples of the Viennese Classical style, not least in their almost symphonic force.

Friedrich Gulda's piano compositions combine notated music with large improvised sections, thus fusing the classical and jazz traditions. He was one of his generation's most significant pianists and though his compositional output is relatively small, it is nevertheless significant. Variations on 'Light My Fire' is his tour de force virtuoso masterpiece, while Play Piano Play beguilingly contrasts traditional classical procedure with many different jazz styles. Pianist Martin David Jones enjoys a multifaceted career as an award-winning classical and jazz pianist, composer, and conductor. As a pianist, he has appeared at major musical centres including Lincoln Center in New York, the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., the Dame Myra Hess Recital Seris in Chicago, Piccolo Spoleto in Charleston, and more. Jones is Professor of Music at Augusta University in Georgia where he teaches piano and composition and was the director of the university orchestra for twelve years.