Following the 2025 release of Brahms' Piano Concerto No. 2 and Intermezzi Op. 117 - an album that received rave reviews worldwide - Francesco Piemontesi, conductor Manfred Honeck, and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig continue their Brahms journey with a compelling new recording of the composer's Piano Concerto No. 1. A work of striking emotional force and symphonic grandeur, it was born from a profound personal and artistic crisis. Composed in the aftermath of Robert Schumann's tragic collapse, the concerto reflects Brahms' struggle for artistic identity, as well as his confrontation with grief, responsibility, and expectation. From it's monumental opening - once likened to Beethoven's Ninth Symphony - to the deeply introspective slow movement, often understood as a portrait of Clara Schumann, this interpretation reveals the work's extraordinary psychological depth. Complementing the concerto are Brahms' Six Piano Pieces, Op. 118, works of introspection, farewell, and concentrated expression. Composed more than three decades after the concerto, these miniatures distil a lifetime of experience into music of remarkable intimacy and emotional restraint. From the consoling warmth of the Intermezzo in A Major to the desolate introspection of the Intermezzo in E-flat minor - often regarded among Brahms' darkest utterances - these pieces form a poignant counterpoint to the youthful turbulence of the concerto. Together, they trace a path from struggle to reflection, offering a profound insight into Brahms' artistic evolution and inner world. Francesco Piemontesi, one of today's most-cherished pianists, presents the sixth release in his exclusive collaboration with PENTATONE, following the widely praised Schubert - Last Piano Sonatas (2019), Bach Nostalghia (2021), Schoenberg, Messiaen & Ravel (2022), Liszt Transcendental Etudes & Piano Sonata (2023), and Brahms: Piano Concerto No. 2 & Three Intermezzi Op. 117 (2025).

In September 2026, Metier Records presents an outstanding contemporary release - the complete acknowledged output for solo piano by Romanian composer Horatiu Radulescu, performed by premier Metier artist Ian Pace, a world-renowned interpreter of new music. Pace knew and worked closely with Radulescu for two decades and gave the world premiere of the Piano Sonata No. 6, specially written for him. The 2-CD set includes authoritative recordings of all six piano sonatas plus Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti (1967) and The Origin p (1999), and an excellent, extensive article on these works by Ian Pace in the booklet notes. Horatiu Radulescu was the leading figure in the field of Romanian spectral music, which derives massive, overwhelming sound masses from the very basics of harmonic spectra. In the second half of his career, he combined this with Romanian folk music and Byzantine chant, often in startling contrapuntal combinations employing techniques developed during the European Renaissance. The first Piano Sonata 'Wiege an den Abgrunden/Cradle to Abysses' (1968) from his early student days in Bucharest alludes to Liszt's final Symphonic Poem and features dramatic and austere music evoking a multitude of 'Abysses'. The remaining five are all closely linked and collectively known as the Lao Tzu Sonatas, inspired by the Taoist philosopher. Their chant-like or folk-derived materials are continually juxtaposed with more abstract spectral harmonies, derived in part from Radulescu's earlier idiom. They retain traces of song, ritual, and dance, but they are also transformed into something larger: continuous bodies of resonance, rhythm, and colour. The Second Sonata, 'being and non-being create each other' (1991), composed 23 years after the first, is viewed as ushering in Radulescu's 'second period'. The Third Sonata, 'you will endure forever' (1992, rev. 1999), the largest of the six, is the first of Radulescu's piano works to draw explicitly upon pre-existing musical materials, specifically Byzantine chant. In the Fourth Sonata, 'like a well older than God' (1993), Radulescu makes prominent use of three different Romanian Christmas carols, all originally collected and set by Bartok. The Fifth Sonata, 'settle your dust, this is the primal identity' (2003) employs a wide range of Romanian folk melodies. The Sixth Sonata, 'return to the source of light' (2007), was Radulescu's last completed work, and premiered by Ian Pace. Omaggio a Domenico Scarlatti (1967) from the composer's student days in Bucharest displays many aspects of post-war modernism and connects to the scale and performing features of Scarlatti's keyboard music. The piano piece The Origin p (1999) is Radulescu at his most uncompromising with what he calls 'spectral resonance' created by metal bars holding down all black notes and most white ones. Radulescu was born in Bucharest and studied violin with Enescu pupil Nina Alexandrescu at the Bucharest Academy. During this period, a shift came about from the dominant neo-classical style towards a greater engagement with European modernism. Radulescu graduated in 1969 and went to Paris, taking French citizenship in 1974. After this, like other emigre Romanian composers, his music was barely played at all during the remainder of the communist era.

The present release is part of a short series of recordings sitting on the shelves of the Nimbus archive that were 'rediscovered' during the 2020 COVID shutdowns. In those quiet days idle hands and minds posed the question: 'So, do we have anything unissued that we can use to construct a release programme?' This casual enquiry initiated a full investigation that has continued for five years and revealed more than fifty recording projects that, for one reason or another, never made it into the world. Shura Cherkassky was introduced to Nimbus by Wilfred Stiff, then a director of the London agent Ibbs & Tillett. Wilfred recognised a young label pushing ahead fast at the transition point between LP and CD, one with a fondness for artists whose careers were waning. Accordingly, he dispatched one of his most prestigious names to the Nimbus Studio. Cherkassky was at that time acknowledged as one of the 'great' generation whose undoubted king was Horowitz, but after a long, notable career that began in his mid-teens, his popularity in the concert hall and recording studio had fallen. Shura's late career was in need of a final boost. © Adrian Farmer

A conversation between the piano compositions of Lili Boulanger and her teacher Gabriel Faure. Lili Boulanger's lesser-known dreamy Preludes (never published) and Marche gaie (recently discovered), along with her popular 3 Morceaux and her more serious Theme and Variations, are mirrored by Faure's masterpiece Theme and Variations, as well as his lesser-known, melodic, and enchanting Pieces breves.

This album brings together works by composers closely associated with France and Paris, complemented by a reconstructed version of Mozart's unfinished sonata. The programme spans original compositions for two pianos, alternative arrangements created by the composers themselves, and a bold reimagining of Piazzolla's iconic Libertango by Aleami Piano Duo. In this innovative arrangement, the artists employ extended piano techniques, live looping, and improvisation, expanding the expressive possibilities of the two-piano medium. At the heart of the album lies the idea of encounter: the meeting of two pianos and two pianists, but also of cultures and musical traditions that inspired generations of composers-from the spiritual songs of enslaved African Americans to the passionate rhythms of Argentine tango. Despite their stylistic diversity, all the works are united by the distinctive sonority of two pianos, an ensemble capable of both orchestral grandeur and extraordinary intimacy. The rich palette of colours, vast dynamic range, and interplay between the instruments create a compelling musical dialogue throughout the recording. Aleami Piano Duo is among the most versatile young Polish piano ensembles of it's generation, performing repertoire that ranges from the classical canon to contemporary music and works influenced by jazz. This eclectic programme showcases the duo's interpretative freedom, virtuosity, and remarkable artistic synergy, offering a fresh and captivating perspective on the art of piano duo performance.

All music on this album is composed and arranged by Clara Ponty and inspired by the famous works of George Frideric Handel and additional arrangements by Pierre Doursout and Gladsome Passacaille by Johan Halvorsen and Clara Ponty. The album is co- produced by Clara Ponty and Pierre Doursout. Recorded, mixed and mastered by Julien Basseres. Clara Ponty is a classically trained pianist, singer, and composer with an eclectic body of work presented across six albums. Daughter of Jean-Luc Ponty, a pioneer and undisputed master of violin in the arena of jazz and rock, Clara's diverse background, including exposure to a broad world of music from an early age, along with residences in different countries and cultures, is the source of inspiration for the development of her wide-ranging output. All works are inspired by wellknown Suites, Minuets and of course one of his most famous works: Water Music. Clara Ponty revived the music in her own way and gave it all her own twist: 1. Sweet Gigue; Inspired by Handel's Suite in E Minor-Gigue G.162, 2. Sarabande Reimagined; Inspired by Handel's Suite in D minor-Sarabande G.110, 3. Baroque Andante; Inspired by Handel's Suite in D Minor-Presto G.117 and more to discover! 'I want to give new life to this exceptional music. My hope is that this album will be perceived as a bridge, proving that classical music is not a niche genre, but a universal emotion.' - Clara Ponty - When Baroque Meets Modernity: Composer-Pianist Clara Ponty unveils her album 'Handel Reimagined' - How can we breathe new contemporary life into the legacy of George Frideric Handel? With her new album 'Handel Reimagined, ' pianist and composer Clara Ponty offers a bold and intimate reinterpretation of the Baroque repertoire. Born out of the isolation of lockdown and a prestigious invitation to the city of Halle in Germany (Handel's birthplace), this opus breaks down the boundaries between eras, making classical music accessible to all generations. - Handel Reimagined - All works are inspired by well-known Suites, Minuets and of course one of his most famous works: Water Music. Clara Ponty revived the music in her own way and gave it all her own twist.

The Chopin Connection offers a rare insight into the piano works of Chopin, connecting much loved repertoire with little-known compositions from two of Chopin's pupils from the Rothschild Family, Charlotte (1825-1899) and Mathilde (1832-1924). The aim of this two volume collection is to champion two immensely gifted women composers whose pieces reflect a particular voice and style and simultaneously reveal new facets in the teaching of their admired mentor. This first volume connects Chopin with Charlotte de Rothschild. © Inbar Rothschild. The Chopin Connection explores the vibrant mid-19th-century Parisian salon of the Rothschild family, a creative epicentre that supported many great artists, including Frederic Chopin. We are proud to champion two women composers who carried on Chopin's tradition through the two volumes of this collection: Charlotte de Rothschild, who was both a patron and a pupil of Chopin, and a gifted composer, in Vol. 1; and Mathilde de Rothschild in Vol. 2. We invite you to (re)experience Chopin and celebrate with us the enduring power of musical partnerships, past and present. Emma Pauncefort & Tom Pauncefort, CRD Directors

Marco Enrico Bossi piano music accompanies almost his entire creative life: from his first mazurka, composed at age 14, to the five concert pieces of Op. 137, the piano represents almost a moment of compositional relaxation compared to the organ, chamber music, and large symphonic-choral works, albeit with the inevitable challenges connected to the evolution of his style. Giulio Giurato, already pianist interpreter of the complete recording of Bossi's instrumental chamber music (Tactus, TC862704/05/06/07 - TC860204), now dedicates himself as a soloist to this world premiere recording of the piano works by the great Italian composer. Works that are still virtually unknown today, revealing how much ground still needs to be covered in order to arrive at a complete assessment of the composer's mastery.

A generation before the now iconic Dinu Lipatti died of cancer at the age of 33, a much less remembered Polish pianist, Karol Szreter (1898-1933), died of the same disease at almost the same age. A pupil of Egon Petri, so of the Busoni school, his brief career began in central Europe and by the time of his death he was becoming acknowledged as a major figure in the pianistic world. His first recordings were made acoustically for VOX, where he recorded both as accompanist and soloist, and we have included one example. He was then taken up by the sister labels Parlophon and Odeon and the majority of these recordings are presented here. Of note is the first electrical recording of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 4 and three further sonatas, and - reflecting a different side of his art - five brilliant Strauss transcriptions where he reveals his stupendous technique.

This album brings together piano sonatas by Mendelssohn, Beethoven, and Schumann that reflect a specifically German approach to the form, distinct from the Viennese Classical tradition. Pianist Tianxu An explores works composed within a 26-year span, a period in which composers redefined the sonata through structural experimentation and greater performative expression. Central to the recording is a focus on the composers' detailed markings, including dynamics, pedalling, and phrasing, and how these shape interpretation in performance. Recorded in 2024, the release presents An's considered engagement with this repertoire and his interest in it's intellectual rigour and expressive breadth.

The internationally renowned pianist Yulianna Avdeeva presents Metanoia, a profound exploration of the late piano works of Franz Liszt, tracing his radical transformation from virtuoso to visionary. Liszt's late works mark a decisive break with traditional musical language and form, opening the door to 20th-century modernism through bold harmonic experimentation, compressed structures, and strikingly dissonant sonorities. Stripped of conventional melodic development, these brief but intense works convey deep existential reflection, touching on themes of faith, mortality, and the human condition. Initially met with resistance, they would later become a major influence on composers such as Bartok, Scriabin, Debussy, and Ravel. The album unfolds in reverse chronology, culminating in Liszt's Sonata in B Minor and Legende No. 2. The Sonata in B Minor stands as one of the most important works in the piano repertoire: a single-movement structure of extraordinary dramatic and philosophical scope, where contrasting themes emerge, collide, and transform into a journey from darkness to transcendence. For Avdeeva, Liszt's music is never purely virtuosic, but an existential inquiry into the deepest aspects of human experience - light and darkness, faith and doubt, life and death - revealing a composer who continually expanded the possibilities of musical thought and expression. Yulianna Avdeeva returns to PENTATONE after a string of critically acclaimed releases: her label debut Resilience (2023), followed by Chopin: Voyage (2024) and Shostakovich: 24 Preludes and Fugues Op. 87 (2025). Together, these recordings have garnered international awards and widespread acclaim across the globe.

This album brings together two of Ludwig van Beethoven's piano sonatas, performed here for the first time on record by pianist Maria Korecka-Soszkowska, for whom Beethoven has long remained a central and deeply cherished composer. Though commonly known by the evocative titles Moonlight and Pastoral, neither nickname originated with the composer himself. The celebrated Sonata quasi una fantasia in C-sharp minor opens the recording with one of the most iconic movements in all classical music: a work of restrained passion and inward drama, often associated with Beethoven's unfulfilled love for one of his pupils. The later Sonata in D major unfolds in a more pastoral atmosphere, coloured by echoes of rural life and subtle allusions to folk music. Both sonatas reveal Beethoven's gift for expanding classical form through slow introductions, shifting moods, and a narrative tension that grows organically from within. In Maria Korecka-Soszkowska's interpretation, these familiar masterpieces regain their freshness, intimacy, and poetic depth.

Mendelssohn: Lieder ohne Worte, Phantasie

SOMM Recordings is proud to celebrate the 'stylish and powerful' (The Times) South African-born pianist-composer David Earl with a 75th Birthday Tribute. The release features Oxymorons - 24 Preludes (1993) and Scenes from a South African Childhood - 9 pieces for solo piano (2013). Of interest is that the second of these childhood scenes, 'Princess Rainbow,' was included on the much-praised African Pianism release [SOMMCD 0647] by pianist Rebeca Omordia. David Earl was born in Stellenbosch in South Africa's Western Cape in 1951. He made his professional piano debut aged 16 with the South African Broadcasting Corporation and played Mendelssohn's First Piano Concerto with the Cape Town Symphony Orchestra the following year. He moved to London when he was 19 to study at the Trinity College of Music, performing the first of a number of solo piano recitals at Wigmore Hall while still a student and broadcasting live on BBC Radio 3. Jeremy Nicholas, writing for Gramophone, has said, 'For those who like their contemporary music tonal, substantial and individual David Earl is certainly a name to add to your list.' Earl gave the premiere of his Piano Suite No 1 Mosaics at Wigmore Hall in 1977. His First Piano Concerto and Che´ri, a ballet commissioned for The Scottish Ballet, followed in quick succession. His extensive catalogue includes further ballet scores, operas, chamber music, choral and vocal works, film scores, a wide range of concerti for various instruments, and works for solo piano. David Earl teaches at Cambridge University, and, prior to settling there, he spent seven years in Oxford. He describes Oxymorons as miniature tone poems reflecting friends and places he encountered during his Oxford years. The title also relates to the paradoxical idea that he was writing tonal music at a time when it was not considered de rigueur. Following the same order as Preludes by Chopin and others, this set begins in C major and it's relative minor, and cycles through all the keys to F major and D minor. The nine pieces that make up Scenes from a South African Childhood are personal essays from a specific time and place, which are universally evocative through their very specificity. David Earl grew up on the small estate, Old Nectar, in the Jonkershoek Valley north of Cape Town. The music evokes scenes of a young David walking through the gardens of Old Nectar with his mother; flyfishing with his father in the river flowing through the valley; vacationing at Groot Drakenstein and discovering there Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 25, which becomes indelibly associated with the place. Then moving to Cape Town, where it's monuments, beaches, trees, and warm southern-hemisphere Christmases create their own nostalgia, expressed here through music.

Piano Preludes: Gershwin, Ginastera, Chopin

Hidden for decades behind the gender-neutral pseudonym N. Lago, the music of Swedish composer Laura Netzel finally emerges in full light. This recording brings together her complete works for violin and piano: intimate, refined, and richly melodic pages shaped by Nordic folklore, daring harmonies, and the expressive freedom of the late Romantic era. Far from mere virtuoso display, these works speak in a voice of quiet intensity, where elegance conceals deep emotion. Violinist Agata Kawa-Cajler and pianist Aleksandra Dallali reveal the subtle balance of strength and delicacy that once fascinated Netzel's contemporaries, restoring to this remarkable composer the place she deserves within the Swedish neo-Romantic tradition.

In the days before recorded sound, people usually learned their orchestral music at home, playing it in piaIn the days before recorded sound, people usually learned their orchestral music at home, playing it in piano transcriptions for two or four hands. Two German-Jewish composers took that idea a stage further: Ignaz Moscheles, protege of Beethoven, wrote a symphony for four hands at a single keyboard, and Ferdinand Hiller, friend of Berlioz, Chopin and Liszt, went a step further, following Moscheles' symphony without an orchestra with an opera without singers - both works bold genre-busters well before the term had even been invented. No transcriptions for two or four hands. Two German-Jewish composers took that idea a stage further: Ignaz Moscheles, protege of Beethoven, wrote a symphony for four hands at a single keyboard, and Ferdinand Hiller, friend of Berlioz, Chopin and Liszt, went a step further, following Moscheles' symphony without an orchestra with an opera without singers - both works bold genre-busters well before the term had even been invented.

On 14 August 2026, Divine Art is delighted to present The Complete Piano Music of Anthony Hedges (1931-2019) Vol 1, the first of three albums from British pianist Adam Davies presenting the entirety of this prolific composer's concert music for piano. This first volume documents a thirty-year maturation showcasing the full breadth and diversity of Hedges' creative output, starting with the earliest of the published piano pieces, the Five Preludes of 1959, fresh with youthful energy and verve, and ending with the bright and evocative Five Aphorisms of 1990. Between these sit two weighty centrepieces marking important stylistic departures: Four Short Pieces, his gritty foray into serialism, and the bold intensity of the First Sonata. Interspersed with these are delightful miniatures written for budding pianists, reflecting the composer's pianistic skill and facility in writing for younger musicians. This music is colourful, rich in it's allusions, and expertly crafted. Many of these works are being recorded for the first time. Adam Davies first encountered the music of Anthony Hedges in his youth and saw the composer himself in performance, as he grew up in Beverley, East Yorkshire, also by then Hedges' home. He rediscovered the composer during COVID after finding his own long-neglected score of Ten Bagatelles Op.156, gifted from his boyhood singing teacher, and was reminded of the quality and accessibility of the writing. Such was his enjoyment of these pieces, and his surprise at the relative lack of recordings of Hedges' music, that he resolved to record the complete piano music. Anthony Hedges' daughter Fiona provided the scores and private recordings of many of these works by the composer himself: 'Listening to these works proved to be a liberating experience he played like a composer: perhaps not with note-perfect Polish, but with crystal-clear imagination, purpose, character, and expression permeating every note and phrase.I have tried to convey something of his essence in these recordings, which I hope will serve to bring wider attention to this richly deserving repertoire.' The album is financially supported by the Ida Carroll Trust. Composer, pianist, conductor, teacher and critic Anthony Hedges was born in the town of Bicester and educated at Oxford, where his broad musical activity included singing in the Oxford Bach Choir under the batons of such luminaries as Vaughan Williams and Constant Lambert. During his National Service (1955-57), he worked as pianist and arranger for the Royal Signals Band. He taught at the Royal Scottish Conservatoire in Glasgow and later at Hull University, where he became a Reader and earned his Honorary Doctorate, also during that time meeting poet Philip Larkin and setting his words to music. As well as a weekly column for the Glasgow Herald, he contributed reviews and interviews for the Guardian, the Scotsman, and other publications. His expansive output covers all genres, including popular and frequently broadcasted lighter works for brass band and orchestra. Pianist Adam Davies was born in Manchester and raised in Beverley, East Yorkshire, where he had the opportunity to hear Anthony Hedges at the piano several times. Davies was educated at the Royal Northern College of Music, where his teachers were John Gough and Dr. Murray McLachlan. Adam performs throughout the UK as a recital and concerto soloist and teaches at Chetham's School of Music, Manchester. In 2019, he commissioned and gave the world premiere of Tom Harrold's Crux, and he has performed as duo partner with Kathryn Stott.

On 7 August 2026, Metier Records is excited to present Sinner, Don't Let This Harvest Pass from rising pianist Joseph Havlat, featuring music by Michael Finnissy, Cassandra Miller, and Robert Schumann. This ground-breaking album includes Schumann's Geistervariationen (Ghost Variations), Finnissy's response, or allusions to, this work in his RS Geistervariationen, and Miller's Philip the Wanderer as well as the title work, Sinner, Don't Let This Harvest Pass, a rare co-composition between Finnissy and Miller, based on the well-known Afro-American spiritual. The compositions and working styles of Finnissy and Miller are a natural fit for this collaboration, the result of their long-standing friendship and correspondence. Transcription is another thread tying the works on this programme together, each composer having a unique approach. Finnissy's RS Geistervariationen (2021) contains large transcription sections of Brahms' piano duet Variations on a Theme by Robert Schumann, Op.23 and is heard alongside Schumann's original Geistervariationen. For Michael Finnissy, this process is in itself composition - he's working with the material as if it were his own, like portraiture seen through multiple lenses. As Joseph Havlat observes: 'These passages of transcribed Brahmsare melded and fused with Finnissy's own voice, creating ghostly echoes of bygone music, just as the variations themselves are ghosts of the original theme, and Schumann's theme a ghost of something else heard as well.' In between the variations are heard a series of Tropes in Finnissy's own compositional approach, acting as a musical commentary. Cassandra Miller started to write Philip the Wanderer (2012) in Canada but continued in the UK during a period of mentorship under Finnissy. Viewed by the composer as more of a 'translation' or 'adaptation' than a transcription, it draws it's source material from Mandowa II, a recording by Mozambican musician Zhukake Masingi, of which Miller generated a rhythmically hyper-rigorous computer-generated MIDI transcription. The three-movement piece reflects the rhythmic pushing-and-pulling found in the recording, with it's danceable and ultimately joyous irregularity. For their collaborative work, Sinner, Don't Let This Harvest Pass, inspired by the spiritual sung by the great Marian Anderson, Finnissy and Miller wanted to capture something of the 'inflections' and the 'mood' of her performance and not just the tune itself. They wrote alternating sections, Cassandra Miller going first and Michael Finnissy following her tonal theme, not imitating each other but more like a slow-moving conversation, mirroring their own dialogue as they created the piece. Michael Finnissy is widely regarded as one of Britain's most important living composers and teachers, his prolific output including solo instrumental, chamber, and choral works as well as songs and works for stage. To mark his 80th birthday earlier this year, Metier released a 10-volume digital box set, Michael Finnissy: The Complete Metier Collection from 1998-2026. The composition methods of Canadian-British composer Cassandra Miller incorporate unique meditation-based practices, and her works have been performed by ensembles and orchestras across the UK, Europe, and the US. 'Music this uncalculatedly beautiful leaves you almost desperate with gratitude' -Alex Ross, The New Yorker. Australian pianist and composer Joseph Havlat is based in London. A leading interpreter of modern and contemporary music, he performs as a soloist and chamber musician in major concert venues around the UK, Europe, America, Japan, and Australia. He currently teaches piano and composition at the Royal Academy of Music. His previous recording of Michael Finnissy's vocal music, Alternative Readings with Lotte Betts-Dean and the Marsyas Trio, was released on Metier.

Musica ricercata is a kind of journey through the fossils of European musical culture after the explosion of the two World Wars. Like all composers living in the shadow of nuclear threat, Ligeti sees time as the great enemy: he cages it, crystallizing it into an eternal present so material, that it prevents the flow of Chance within it.

Every new sound carries a shadow of what came before: on their new GENUIN album, the piano duo Ekaterina Zhemaitis and Polina Kulikova journey through the dialogue between memory and invention. At it's heart stands the world premiere recording of Rodion Shchedrin's 'Romantic Duets', alongside works that draw breath from tradition while reshaping it into strikingly individual musical languages - from Stravinsky to Taneyev. Performed by an internationally award-winning duo, the program unfolds with rare coherence, revealing hidden lines, lucid structures, and unexpected connections across time.

Jimin Oh-Havenith dedicates this volume of her Schumann edition to his variations, which form the beginning, the core, and the conclusion of his unique piano oeuvre. In the fourth instalment of her widely acclaimed Schumann edition, Jimin Oh-Havenith turns to his works for piano in variation form. Three of the pieces recorded here occupy a singular place in Schumann's biography: both his first published composition, the Abegg Variations, and his final completed work, the so-called Ghost Variations, belong to this genre. The twelve Symphonic Etudes - situated chronologically at the heart of his piano output of the 1830s, long revered by pianists yet equally feared for their formidable technical demands - are likewise variations on a theme. Whereas the young Schumann, in the Abegg Variations, conjured a sparkling and virtuosic play on musical letters from the name of a Heidelberg acquaintance, the Ghost Variations unfold as a deeply moving dialogue between the gravely ill composer and his great models, Schubert and Mendelssohn Bartholdy. This extraordinary breadth of expression once again affords Jimin Oh-Havenith the opportunity to demonstrate the intensity and originality of her Schumann interpretation.

This recording is a small token of appreciation and a tribute to E.M. Timakin, my first teacher, who taught me how to play piano and helped to set the course of my musical journey that is still unfolding. He was very fond of Grieg's piano works and gave it to all of his young students to study. More than sixty years have passed since that time, but the experience of studying Grieg's Lyrical Pieces with him is still vivid in my grateful memory. For generations of young pianists Grieg's Lyric Pieces have been one of the first encounters with real music, alongside the works of Schumann and Tchaikovsky written for children. At the beginning of their training young musicians and children must dedicate plenty of time and efforts to the development and mastering of the basic technical skills such as playing scale, arpeggios and other exercises that do not carry real artistic values. Because of that the first encounters with real music are extremely important for children and could have a defining impact on their future development and growth. It is good fortune for many youngsters to be introduced to real music through these works of Grieg.

Vision Pianist Michael Schöch presents a distinguished tribute to Louis Vierne's legacy, inviting listeners into a world of elegance, introspection, and timeless beauty. With captivating musicality, Schöch unveils hidden dimensions of Vierne, long overshadowed by his celebrated organ music. These pieces emerge here as intimate, richly coloured miniatures of late Romantic expression, presenting a composer of striking imagination and rare artistic depth. Origins The programme's early works already display Vierne's remarkable sensitivity to pianistic colour and atmosphere. Suite bourguignonne paints a poetic rural day in vivid tableaux, from luminous morning serenity to the shimmering stillness of "Clair de lune." These pieces reveal a composer who transforms simplicity into evocative musical storytelling. Resonance Echoes of Claude Debussy emerge in Trois Nocturnes, where impressionistic textures and harmonic nuance shape nocturnal visions of rare beauty. Inspired by the vast interior of Saint-Ouen Abbey, the first nocturne evokes monumental grandeur, while the third captures a starlit stillness enlivened by birdsong. Vierne's voice remains distinct-introspective, atmospheric, and deeply expressive. Artistry Michael Schöch interprets this repertoire with radiant clarity and stylistic authority, uniting virtuosity with poetic restraint. Alongside the major cycles, he brings equal care to the smaller, often posthumous works, revealing their understated charm. The historic Steinway Concert Grand Piano D (1901) "Manfred Bürki" lends an authentic tonal palette, perfectly attuned to Vierne's world.

The highly acclaimed pianist and composer Johannes Obermeier guides the listener through the lyrical piano world of Felix Mendelssohn on his new GENUIN album Beyond Words. As a composer himself, Obermeier brings a keen sensitivity to sound, structure, and expression, offering a particularly refined perspective on Mendelssohn's music. At the centre are the famous Lieder ohne Worte-music that speaks without words and resonates deeply. Works such as the Variations sérieuses and Rondo capriccioso broaden this musical world. With great sensitivity and attention to detail, Obermeier reveals a fresh perspective on familiar repertoire.