On A. Tcherepnin Complete Piano Music, Vol. 4: ”This is another adorable disc of scintillating music brilliantly played and cannot be praised highly enough.” – MusicWeb International

Joachim Raff's piano compositions earned him considerable acclaim in his lifetime. - Bla�tter und Blu�ten's (Leaves and Blossoms) four volumes consist of twelve deliciously melodic and colorful depictions of the then popular vogue for 'The Language of Flowers'. - The late Grande Sonate by contrast is one of Raff's major statements. - Conceived on a quasi-symphonic scale, it's sonorous gravity and breadth encompass a bleak nobility that represents the culmination of his writing for the piano. - Ms. Tra Nguyen's previous recordings of Raff's piano music have earned her wide critical acclaim.

Regarded at the height of his career as the foremost symphonist of his day, the young Joseph Joachim Raff was rescued from penury by Liszt, and the lyrical and self-assured Six Poemes were dedicated to his famous amanuensis as a gesture of gratitude. The Fantasie Op. 142 is a powerful example of Raff's mature piano music, while the Erinnerung an Venedig paints an effective sound picture with economy of language and distinctive harmonic piquancy.

Featuring pianists Emile Naoumoff and Yau Chang, this Grand Piano release showcases three Sonatas for piano four hands by the prolific composer and eminent member of France’s musical establishment in the later 19th c., Louis Théodore Gouvy (1819-98). + These works, all written in the 1860s, reveal considerable technical command as well as flowing elegance, some of it reminiscent of Schubert and Schumann. + Gouvy’s considerable œuvre, including a large body of four-hand piano music, has been undergoing critical reconsideration and something of a revival on record in recent years.

Hoffmeister was one of the great figures in musical history. He was a founding father of the music publishing industry - his firm published Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and many others - as well as being a prolific composer. His operas, symphonies, concertos and chamber music were widely admired in Vienna and beyond. Not the least important of his works were those for the flute and the piano, for which a large audience existed. Among his most enjoyable, some of the piano works reveal Hoffmeister at his most searching, and forward-looking. This is the last of three volumes of the first complete recording of Hoffmeister's piano sonatas. Hoffmeister wrote a series of piano sonatas, sonatinas and other pieces for the instrument. The use of fortepiano or harpsichord was specified, indicating their composition coincided with the transitional period from the Baroque to the Romantic periods. The sonatas display a considerable degree of melodic inspiration and harmonic skill, full of imaginative transformations as well as pithy wit. Far from mere salon entertainment the B major Sonata, in particular, shows a more experimental side of his art.

Babadjanian: Complete Works for Piano Solo

Among Armenian composers who worked principally in Armenia without seeking to establish any worldwide reputation, the composer E.A. Abramian (1923-86) was one of the most significant and respected. Probably his most important work for the piano is the 24 Preludes (1952/72). The cycle remains within the realm of tonality, although much expanded and enlarged through the use of chromatic elements that often generate harmonies of considerable complexity. Pianist Mikael Ayrapetyan’s repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed Armenian works.

Among Armenian composers who worked principally in Armenia without seeking to establish any worldwide reputation, the composer E.A. Abramian (1923-86) was one of the most significant and respected. Probably his most important work for the piano is the 24 Preludes (1952/72). The cycle remains within the realm of tonality, although much expanded and enlarged through the use of chromatic elements that often generate harmonies of considerable complexity. Pianist Mikael Ayrapetyan’s repertoire ranges from the baroque to the contemporary and includes rarely performed Armenian works.

Tcherepnin: Piano Music, Vol. 5

Yiming Zhang continues his exploration of the piano music of Ge Gan-ru - 'China's first avant-garde composer' - in this second volume of the composer's works. This world premiere recording of 12 etudes for Extended Piano, written in close collaboration with pianist Yiming Zhang, explores a variety of prepared piano techniques that are evocative of Chinese instruments. Volume 1 can be heard on GP835.

These idiomatic piano transcriptions of Khachaturian's ballet scores and incidental music are performed by Armenian music specialist Mikael Ayrapetyan. Includes the famous 'Sabre Dance' and 'Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia'.

Carlo Albanesi was an Italian composer-pianist who moved to London in 1882. He balanced a career as a piano soloist with that of professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music. Acclaimed pianist Julia Severus continues her survey of works by this unjustly forgotten composer-pianist. World premiere recordings. Volume 1 can be heard on GP924.

José Antonio Bottiroli’s protégé Fabio Banegas returns for the latest volume in his exploration of the composer’s complete music for piano. These world premiere recordings focus on Bottiroli’s elegiacal works – laments in tribute to the memory of his loved ones. World premiere recordings. Volumes 1 and 2 can be heard on GP833 and GP871.

This sixth volume of seven of Gottlieb Wallisch’s acclaimed 20th Century Foxtrots series takes us to Southern Europe, featuring composers from across the Mediterranean, such as Castelnuovo-Tedesco, Camilleri, Mompou and Skalkottas, among many others. International influences blend with regional character and famous names jostle with new discoveries, all of whose contributions create a joyous mix of exuberant theatricality, evocative elegance and colourful blues. Includes 16 world premiere recordings.

This second volume of the 20th century Italian-American composer Rieti’s work for piano solo and duo sees Giorgio Koukl once again joined by Virginia Rossetti. Rieti frequently puts a smile on the face of his music, united with a fondness for brevity, and melodies reminiscent of the atmosphere of Parisian clubs. World premiere recordings. Volume 1 can be heard on GP921.