The first and upcoming album by Levi. Sct aka Levi Schechtmann on the Neue Meister label presents a distinctive fusion of classical piano and modern hip-hop elements?. The album seamlessly blends classical piano compositions with contemporary hip-hop rhythms, showcasing Schechtmann's unique approach to music?. This release marks a significant milestone in Schechtmann's career, reflecting his growth as a composer and pianist who transcends traditional genre boundaries?. Levi. Sct is a piano influencer with more than 1. 8 Mio followers on his social media channels?

Augusta Read Thomas : Two Thoughts About the Piano (2017)For solo pianoDuration: c. 5 minutesFormat: 24-page scoreTWO THOUGHTS ABOUT THE PIANO was inspired by - and is a response to - Elliott Carter's Caténaires from his Two Thoughts About the Piano. My work is entirely original and does not quote from or share music in common with Mr. Carter’s work.

For the pianist and opera conductor Boris Bloch, who hails from Odessa in present-day Ukraine, the works of Frederic Chopin represent the epitome of poetry in music. Chopin's primary means of expression-the language with which he expressed everything he wanted to say-was his melody: the most beautiful kind known to man. For Chopin, however, this melody was more than that; it was a reflection of reality, behind which lay a real image or event. Heinrich Neuhaus pointed out the autobiographical character of Chopin's oeuvre. And it is precisely this autobiographical character that has helped countless people find themselves in their own biographies. This explains the immense popularity and universal appeal of his works, which are cherished all over the world. On this double CD, Boris Bloch presents a selection of Mazurkas, etudes, Impromptus, the four Ballades, and the second Piano Sonata, Op. 35.

The Flemish Music Heritage series is a journey of discovery, reviving remarkable pieces of musical heritage. Forgotten scores are brought to light, and familiar compositions are given a fresh perspective. In close collaboration with the Study Centre for Flemish Music, the recordings are founded on intensive research in libraries and archives and meticulously prepared score editions. The works, expertly selected by connoisseurs, are performed by valued musicians and ensembles who passionately restore neglected and forgotten composers to the recognition they deserve. With these vibrant composer monographs, Antarctica Records aims to broaden horizons and enrich the repertoire with rediscovered treasures from the past. This FMH album focuses on the third and final volume of works for piano solo by Joseph Ryelandt (1870-1965). Performed by Jozef de Beenhouwer, who has championed Ryelandt's music for decades, the album sheds light on a versatile and refined voice in Belgian musical history.

Poetry Chopin's piano concertos are the perfect fusion of virtuosity and heartfelt expression. In this edition, Christian Zacharias brings every intimate and exuberant moment to life with unparalleled sensitivity. Listeners will be captivated by the lyrical depth and poetic nuance of each movement. Clarity Recorded in the historic Salle Metropole with MDG's signature audiophile approach, this release delivers an immersive, natural sound. Newly remixed and mastered for Super Audio CD, every note resonates with clarity, depth, and spatial precision. The result is a listening experience that feels both immediate and timeless. Synergy Zacharias' long-standing partnership with the Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne shines throughout these performances. The orchestra provides an attentive, finely balanced accompaniment, allowing the pianist's interpretation to flourish. This synergy transforms every passage into a vivid, emotionally engaging musical dialogue. Legacy Originally recorded in 2003, this edition preserves the freshness and brilliance of the original sessions. It is a milestone in MDG's Preziosa series, offering a rare combination of historical insight, artistic excellence, and technical mastery. A must-have for collectors, audiophiles, and classical music enthusiasts alike.

Two early works by Robert Schumann surge with emotional intensity, where lyrical beauty meets dramatic urgency, soaring passion collides with deep introspection. Pianist Ayham Hammour, long associated with Poland and a familiar presence on major stages throughout Europe and the Americas, brings Schumann's inner world vividly to life. With imagination and keen insight, Hammour uncovers not only the composer's profound dramatic voice, but also the sparkle of wit, lightness, and subtle irony that lies beneath the surface.

Denis Kozhukhin presents a new album of Haydn: Sonatas, offering a fresh and illuminating journey through the composer's keyboard repertoire. Haydn's keyboard sonatas brim with invention, drama, and wit, matching the brilliance of his symphonies and quartets. Revisiting this repertoire, Kozhukhin reveals their expressive depth and sparkling originality in a recital of striking contrast and character. From the genial Allegro of the early D Major Sonata, Hob XVI:4, to the restless intensity of the C minor Sonata, Hob XVI:20, each work reflects Haydn's inexhaustible inventiveness and subtle mastery of keyboard textures. A prize-winner of prestigious competitions, including the Leeds International Piano Competition (2006) and the Queen Elizabeth Competition (2010), Denis Kozhukhin has established himself as one of the most acclaimed pianists of his generation. He presents another chapter in his exclusive collaboration with PENTATONE, following albums such as Grieg and Tchaikovsky: Piano Concertos (2016, Gramophone Editor's Choice), Brahms: Ballades and Fantasies (2017, 5 stars in Diapason), Ravel & Gershwin and Richard Strauss' Burleske (2018), Grieg: Lyric Pieces & Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte (2019, Gramophone Recording of the Month), Cesar Franck's Symphonic Variations (2020), and Somnia (2025, Gramophone Critic's Choice for 2025 Top Recordings).

Music as ritual: On their debut GENUIN album, the internationally acclaimed piano duo Pisareva-Tchaidze presents three landmark works of early modernism. Stravinsky's "Le Sacre du Printemps" - a piece that has stood at the heart of their repertoire for fifteen years - is set alongside Debussy's "epigraphes antiques" and Bartok's "Two Pictures". Written within the same turbulent historical moment shortly before the First World War, these compositions reflect a time of profound cultural upheaval. The album explores the interplay between them - their archaic energy, their rhythmic vitality, and their dialogue between past and present. The duo's finely calibrated ensemble playing brings striking rhythmic precision and luminous clarity of sound to these works.

This landmark triple CD release presents for the first time the complete solo piano works of Denmark's national composer, Carl Nielsen, performed by one of the country's most distinguished and visionary pianists, Rikke Sandberg. She has worked with Nielsen's music since she began playing the piano as a child, and her teachers form an unbroken lineage back to the pianists for whom Nielsen originally wrote his piano works. On this release you will find Nielsen's original piano music as well as his own arrangements of his compositions. All of Nielsen's solo piano music is included. The Danish press has repeatedly celebrated her artistic integrity. Politiken writes: "She gathers torrents of notes into long, breathing arcs with sharply etched detail and colourful nuance... First and foremost she is an artist; display does not interest her." The same paper concludes: "Few Danish pianists make as great a difference in our musical life as she does." Jyllands-Posten praises her "richly nuanced and superbly controlled playing," while international critics highlight interpretations where "nothing sounds overheated or overplayed... full of fire and sparkling esprit... with such restrained dynamics that one's breath is taken away." At the heart of Sandberg's artistry stands the great Romantic tradition, notably her acclaimed interpretations of Johannes Brahms, alongside a profound commitment to twentieth-century and contemporary Danish music. Now, that lifelong dialogue between heritage and renewal culminates in Nielsen's piano oeuvre: music of rhythmic vitality, bold architecture, folk-like simplicity and daring modernity. Spanning nearly forty years, from intimate miniatures to monumental works, this edition reveals Nielsen in his full creative breadth. More than a recording, this is a definitive artistic statement, and the ultimate document of Carl Nielsen's piano world.

Sergei Prokofiev's nine piano sonatas, composed between 1909 and 1951, are a monumental body of work that showcases the composer's stylistic evolution through a turbulent period of history. Renowned for their virtuosic technical demands and psychological depth, the sonatas are considered a cornerstone of the 20th-century piano repertoire. The famous "War Sonatas" (Nos. 6, 7, and 8) are among his most significant and powerful works. Acclaimed pianist Carlo Grante is celebrated for his vast repertoire, commanding technique, and scholarly interpretations. A prolific recording artist, he is particularly renowned for making the first-ever complete recording of Domenico Scarlatti's keyboard sonatas performed by a single pianist. In addition to Scarlatti, his recordings cover a vast spectrum of composers, from established masters like Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, and Brahms to lesser known composers and contemporary figures like Busoni and Godowsky. Many contemporary composers have dedicated works to Grante, including Bruce Adolphe (Chopin Dreams), Roman Vlad (Opus Triplex), and Michael Finnissy. Praised for his technical mastery and profound musicianship, Fabio Luisi, the former Principal Conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, described Carlo Grante as "one of the most astonishing artists I have ever known and worked with." Vienna's Die Presse dubbed him "a knight of the piano, without blemish and without fear."

The first and upcoming album by Levi. Sct aka Levi Schechtmann on the Neue Meister label presents a distinctive fusion of classical piano and modern hip-hop elements?. The album seamlessly blends classical piano compositions with contemporary hip-hop rhythms, showcasing Schechtmann's unique approach to music?. This release marks a significant milestone in Schechtmann's career, reflecting his growth as a composer and pianist who transcends traditional genre boundaries?. Levi. Sct is a piano influencer with more than 1 Mio followers on his social media channels?

Astro Cats is a virtuosic and colourful piano cycle in which each movement is inspired by a different breed of cat (domestic, wild, and even one imaginary). Given that the world often seems divided between dog and cat lovers, following the release of Carbon's work Astro Dogs, many people suggested the idea of a cat cycle. The composer has had both dogs and cats over the years, and as with the previous work, the pairing of each breed with a zodiac sign meant that the composer took inspiration from close friends and family who shared the sign. The moods of the pieces vary widely, and John Carbon has taken strong inspiration from the kinetic behaviour of cats, with their pouncing, crouching, sprinting, as well as elements of the hunt and their mysterious, crafty nature. The result is a rich musical exploration of the feline world, projected through the full possibilities of the piano.

Between Fire and Silence is the debut album of the young Danish pianist David Munk-Nielsen, presenting a program that brings together the Romantic worlds of Robert Schumann and Jean Sibelius. Through this combination, the recording explores a rich musical landscape shaped by contrasts between intimacy and passion, reflection and intensity. At the heart of the album are two central piano works by Schumann: Kinderszenen, Op. 15 and the monumental Fantasie, Op. 17. In Kinderszenen, Schumann looks back on childhood through a series of poetic miniatures that capture innocence, nostalgia, and quiet reflection. Pieces such as the famous Traumerei reveal the composer's deeply lyrical voice and his gift for expressing profound emotion within a small musical frame. The Fantasie, Op. 17, composed shortly afterwards, represents the other side of Schumann's artistic personality. Vast in scale and emotional scope, the work is filled with longing, passion, and dramatic power. Written during a period when Schumann was separated from Clara Wieck, the Fantasie became a deeply personal expression of love and yearning. Together, these two works reveal the dual nature often associated with Schumann's artistic identity: the poetic introspection of Eusebius and the fiery intensity of Florestan. Complementing Schumann's music are selected piano pieces by Jean Sibelius from Op. 5 and Op. 24. Although Sibelius is best known for his orchestral works and symphonies, his piano music offers a more intimate perspective on his compositional voice. These miniatures are refined, atmospheric, and rich in subtle color, revealing a quieter but deeply expressive side of the Finnish composer. Placed alongside Schumann's Kinderszenen, Sibelius' piano works create a contemplative counterpart to the dramatic scale of the Fantasie. The program thus unfolds as a dialogue between two composers and two musical worlds, balancing Nordic lyricism with German Romantic intensity. With Between Fire and Silence, David Munk-Nielsen introduces himself as a thoughtful and expressive interpreter, presenting a debut recording that reflects both his artistic roots and his commitment to exploring the storytelling power of Romantic piano music.

The soundboard is painted with flowers, fruits, and animals and decorated with a typical light-blue ornamental border. Around the soundboard, the walls are adorned with block-printed wallpaper. The lid contains a landscape painting, which was added later, an idyllic stream landscape with four staffage figures: The observer watches a boy gazing intently into the water, a young woman carrying provisions or something similar home, and a couple, who are also only visible from behind. A bridge and a mill enliven the rural scene. If the corresponding technical terms "soundboard," "ornamental border," or "lid" were missing, the reader would hardly associate this vivid, florid description with a keyboard instrument. In such a manner, the renowned harpsichordist and expert in historical performance practice and basso continuo, Wolfgang Brunner, describes the instrument dated 1628 by Andreas Ruckers, from the Flemish harpsichord-making dynasty of the Ruckers family, which is heard on this recording featuring the six French Suites by J. S. Bach.

An exciting release from SOMM Recordings, featuring the Russian-born pianist Nikolay Medvedev, is the aptly named Fusions, which brings together the music of George Gershwin and Nikolai Kapustin-two diverse pianist-composers who share the influence of jazz in their work-while also highlighting the virtuosity of Earl Wild, one of the greatest American pianists of the 20th century. George Gershwin, whose compositions spanned jazz, popular, and classical music, hardly needs introduction, yet the unique fusion of jazz and classical forms of Nikolai Kapustin-who was born the year of Gershwin's death in 1937-was limited to a niche audience in Russia, until his music became internationally known in the early 2000s. These classical and jazz infused works are vividly performed by award-winning pianist, Nikolay Medvedev, whom BBC Music Magazine has named "a pianist with poise and precision," while the Berliner Morgenpost has described his performances as "a mesmerizing combination of technical mastery and emotive depth." What sets Nikolai Kapustin apart as a composer is that, although his music inhabits jazz idioms naturally, everything in it is carefully notated on the page and not improvised as traditional jazz would be. His Second Piano Sonata, which opens this programme, dates from 1989. It's an optimistic four-movement work that blends classical sonata form with jazz elements, requiring high-level technical skill to manage it's complex, syncopated rhythms. The sophisticated harmonic and rhythmic language that Kapustin derived from jazz fusion, bebop, and stride piano is also very much in evidence in his Eight Concert �tudes of 1984. These are not intended to be played together as a set, and this recital features five �tudes, ranging from a thrillingly atmospheric stylisation of South American carnival time to Joplinesque ragtime riding above a powerful left-hand stride. Kapustin's 1984 Variations for piano, which close this recital, are in the classical form of variations while seeming to contain every conceivable jazz influence. The rousing finale in particular is one of Kapustin's most exhilarating compositions. Had George Gershwin not died tragically at the age of 38, he might have completed his projected set of Twenty-Four Preludes for solo piano. As it happened, he wrote eight, and the first Three Preludes were published as a set in 1925. Prelude I is an exercise in energetic syncopation, Prelude II is a lyric blues, and Prelude III closes the set brilliantly with rugged rhythms and further syncopations. In 1932, Gershwin was persuaded to publish The George Gershwin Song-Book for solo piano, and in the 1950s Earl Wild-named by music critic Harold C. Schonberg a "super-virtuoso in the Horowitz class"-released two collections of his own unique versions of Gershwin songs. His 7 Virtuoso Etudes after George Gershwin-including Fascinatin' Rhythm and the haunting The Man I Love-raise Gershwin's inherent genius to an exceptional level of concert standards.

Ilona Timchenko's upcoming album Echoes of a Hidden Legacy is a deeply personal and artistically courageous tribute to the music of Albert Semyonovich Leman, a composer of profound humanism whose voice, shaped by brilliance and adversity, has remained largely unheard beyond Russia Bringing together two major piano cycles written for and dedicated to her (Verhaeren Suite and Schallwellen (Waves of Sound)) both presented here in world premiere recordings. Timchenko restores a living connection to her teacher's artistic vision. Having inherited Leman's final piano, the very instrument on which these works were composed, she creates a rare continuity of sound and spirit, bridging past and present in a performance that is at once intimate, poetic, and architecturally luminous. Inspired by the symbolist poetry of emile Verhaeren, the Verhaeren Suite transforms atmosphere into music of striking psychological depth, while Schallwellen explores resonance and vibration with a contemplative modernity grounded in expressive sincerity. The album is completed by Sofia Gubaidulina's powerful Chaconne, written during her studies with Leman, forming a symbolic arc from teacher to student, from legacy to continuation. In this carefully curated program, Timchenko does more than interpret: she listens, remembers, and reawakens. The result is not merely a recording, but an act of artistic restoration, a testament to resilience, mentorship, and the enduring force of sound itself. With her commanding presence and lifelong commitment to contemporary music, Ilona Timchenko invites us to rediscover a voice that speaks not as an echo of the past, but as a vibrant and necessary presence in today's musical landscape.

The Elastic Heart of Youth Preface - Notes of Renewal If we understood the world, we would realize that there is a logic of harmony underlying it's manifold apparent dissonances. - Jean Sibelius, In 1907, in conversation with Gustav Mahler. Originating in distinct musical dialects - Baroque, Classical, Nordic, Slavic, French, and contemporary - the works recorded here are bound together by a vivid, elastic heart: a profound spirit of vitality that endures through tension and release, stillness and motion, loss and restoration. Beneath their differing voices beats a kindred pulse shared with the natural world. Sibelius's Le Sapin evokes the spruce's calm and poise, it's hushed sonorities suggesting their own logic of repose. Janacek's Sonata 1.X.1905 bears witness - urgent, searching, unafraid-it's broken arcs invoking the dissonances of modernity's estrangement from nature and the fragile openings through which rebirth begins. Debussy's etude pour les arpeges composes and La fille aux cheveux de lin shimmer with shifting light and color, while Clair de lune unfolds in the moon's tender chiaroscuro, a meditation of light, shadow, and serenity. Mozart's Fantasy in D minor restores grace and clarity not by denying shadow, but by transfiguring it; it's improvisatory nature finds form through discovery. Scarlatti's sonatas dance with quick, inventive pulse: sunlight on stone, castanets crossing through the air. Their brilliance is youthful joy tempered by seasoned experience. Gross's Solace turns inward towards repose. Here the heart practices a different virtuosity - the courage to be calm, to let resonance and renewal begin. Even in this quietude, her music recalls nature's adaptability, it's patient recalibrations in the face of change. Missy Mazzoli's The Elastic Heart of Youth gathers all these energies into a radiant celebration of life. It's tensile rhythms and glowing harmonies echo the supple strength of the living world-the capacity to bend, to adapt, to begin again.

Pianist Charlotte Hu presents Goyescas, an album featuring Granados' monumental Goyescas alongside two Spanish Dances. A cornerstone of Spanish piano literature, Goyescas was inspired by the paintings of Francisco Goya and unfolds as a richly poetic suite where passion, tenderness, shadow, and light coexist across six vividly characterised movements. From the playful charm of "Los requiebros" to the lyrical intimacy of "La maja y el ruise�or" and the profound emotional summit of "El amor y la muerte," Granados' masterwork reveals a world of dramatic contrasts and refined storytelling. Hu captures both the virtuosic brilliance and the deeply intimate narrative of the music, illuminating it's modern harmonic language and unmistakable Spanish spirit with freshness and reverence. Complementing the suite are two Spanish Dances: the hauntingly introspective No. 2, "Oriental," and the vibrant, guitar-inflected No. 5, "Andaluza." Together, they offer concentrated glimpses into Granados' expressive range - from quiet longing and poetic reflection to radiant joy and folkloric vitality. This release marks her second album on PENTATONE, following her debut, Liszt: Metamorphosis, released in 2024.

This second volume of Peter Donohoe's Haydn Keyboard Works series brings together a wide-ranging selection of sonatas, partitas, capriccios and fantasias spanning almost the composer's entire career. From the early Partita in G major to the dramatic B minor Sonata and the late works of the 1780s, the programme traces both Haydn's stylistic development and the evolution of the keyboard itself. Folk-inspired pieces such as the Capriccio in G major and the Fantasia in C major sit alongside sonatas of elegance, wit and expressive depth. Donohoe's clarity, rhythmic vitality and architectural insight illuminate Haydn's invention and craftsmanship throughout.

In the second instalment of Alfredo Perl's complete recording of Beethoven's piano works, the sonatas, variations, bagatelles and individual pieces composed during the so-called "classical" period (1801-1814) take centre stage. Their expressive power and innovative virtuosity constitute a landmark in the history of piano music.

Naruhiko Kawaguchi's A Journey with Beethoven presents a thoughtfully curated selection of shorter piano works and arrangements that reveal the composer's diverse character beyond the sonatas. Performed on three historical fortepianos from the Finchcocks Collection, the programme traces a musical and emotional path through bagatelles, rondos, dances, transcriptions and the Fantasy in G minor, alongside a rarely heard 1822 revision of Fur Elise. The recording highlights the evolving sound world of Beethoven's era while showcasing varied expressive styles, from wit and lyricism to introspection. Through historically informed performance, Kawaguchi offers a fresh perspective on familiar and lesser-known repertoire within a cohesive artistic narrative.

The Viennese-born Carl Czerny (1791-1857) is best remembered for his countless pedagogical studies, hundreds and hundreds of them. But his astonishing fecundity - his opus numbers go up to 861, and there is much more music than that - has obscured the fact that he was an important composer in his own right, his works forming a link between Beethoven (his teacher) and Liszt (his student), between the Classical and Romantic eras. The four pieces recorded here - two for two pianos and two for piano four-hands - were intended to impress the salons of Biedermeier Vienna. The titles of three of them contain the word 'brillant': Czerny's intention was to dazzle and entertain, and that's just what this sparkling music does.

With this volume, Dobromir Tsenov completes his survey of the solo piano music of his compatriot Lubomir Pipkov (1904-74), one of the leading members of the 'second generation' of Bulgarian composers who helped establish a national tradition of classical music, blending western forms with the rhythms of local folksong and folk-dances. The first complete recording of the piano music of his father, Panayot Pipkov (1871-1942), one of the 'first generation', sets it in context, in it's mix of folk roots and Lisztian bravura.

Myron Silberstein, Brooklyn-born (in 1974) and a long-term resident of Chicago, belongs to that centuries-old tradition of the composer-pianist. But here the distant roots are not so much in Mozart and Beethoven as in Copland and Barber. Silberstein's language echoes the tradition of earlier American composers like Creston, Mennin, and Persichetti, and his tonal harmony may remind some listeners of mid-twentieth-century jazz, especially in it's sense of improvisatory freedom. Like much of American culture more generally, it is open, outgoing, and often positive in spirit.

The Portuguese composer Cesar Viana - born in England, in 1963, and now resident in Spain - is an all-round musician: conductor, pianist, early-music enthusiast, folklorist and flautist, with a special interest in the shakuhachi, the Japanese bamboo flute. His resulting familiarity with Zen Buddhism has left it's mark on his music, where the clean lines of Japanese art combine with a fondness for the contrapuntal textures that form the basis of much European art-music - imagine Bach and Hindemith in the formal elegance of a stone garden, warmed by a touch of western wit.