As all volumes of the complete recording of Domenico Scarlatti's piano sonatas are released on CD, all the booklets also contain texts on the music. Thomas Seedorf has accompanied the series as musicologist from the beginning. In most cases, Christoph Ullrich contributes his own thoughts. Both very different. In each volume, both have a theme that is particularly appropriate to the sonatas collected. In this case, Thomas Seedorf focuses on the music-historical categorisation of Scarlatti, which is particularly interesting in comparison to his two colleagues born in the same year, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel. Christoph Ullrich devotes himself to the 'being a child' of artists in general, that of Domenico Scarlatti in particular and his own. Both texts are very enriching. Not much more needs to be said about the music. Anyone who has listened to one of the 13 volumes already released knows about the delightful standard of Christoph Ullrich's Scarlatti. Enjoy listening!

What is spontaneous creativity? I imagine a kind of spring, no, rather a waterfall. Something gushes forth, seemingly eternally, effortlessly and never running dry, from the pen of Domenico Scarlatti, from the fingers of Christoph Ullrich. An unimaginative person like me thinks: That's it now. He can't think of another sonata that doesn't repeat something long since invented. But yes, there's another one! New again, different again, freshly born again.

What do 555 sonatas mean? It means: an infinite number of sonatas, let anyone count them. This is exactly how Christoph Ullrich proceeds in the 12th of 17 episodes. Not only is every new Scarlatti sonata unique, but every version that Ullrich plays is also new. He cannot play such a unique piece the same way twice. He keeps telling me during the recordings: turn the tape back on, I'll try something else. Both like children at play, endlessly creative. Every version is bursting with ideas, every bar, every take. Every day, every second. All double unique! Domenico's Ullrich? Christoph's Scarlatti!

The short individual pieces on this recording, the Valsas, Improvisos and Momentos show the sweeter side of Guarnieri's musical language. The Waltz is a format in which every Brazilian composer has expressed his national character, making it almost a new distinctive format. Guarnieri's Valsas share a minor key, and typically present internal melodies shared between the hands, and wreathed in chromatic modulations and decorations. Their mood is one of longing, now almost completely shorn of it's dance character. The effect of all these pieces, many of them extreme miniatures, is of gentle nostalgia. © Adrian Farmer

It's been a long time coming for this second part of Johann Sebastian Bach's partitas played by Evgeni Koroliov. The Steinway D grand piano from the first volume is now permanently installed in a beautiful church in Wernigerode. The recordings of Partitas 3 and 5 were made there. Other issues also delayed progress, including the relocation of TACET's premises. And finally, we're all not getting any younger. Who could say otherwise? This takes it's toll in the form of slower work. Only a few things are timeless, and that includes the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. The way in which Evgeni Koroliov immerses himself in this 'eternal' music, elevating it to a timeless presence, as if it were created in this very moment, changes my perception of time. I absorb it's flow. I agree with it's passing

This recording provides the listener with a chronological overview of Julius Rontgen's creative output, from his earliest published composition, written in 1864-when he was just nine years old-to pieces written as a mature composer five decades later. The latter reveals a composer of outstanding skill, diverse influences, and a master of musical forms and compositional techniques. It has been said that "One would look in vain for anything truly original or shocking in Rontgen's output...". However, there are works included on this recording that dispel that assumption. This pianist would argue that three works stand out, which are truly unique and powerfully original. The first is a short Toccata, which is something of a mystery work having never been published and lacking a date of composition. The others are the Sonata in C Minor from 1877 and the Passacaglia and Fugue of 1911. It is the latter that most decidedly distinguishes Rontgen as having a truly original voice. Julius Rontgen composed over 600 works and is especially known for his concertos, symphonies and chamber music. His piano music has remained unjustifiably neglected since he died in 1932.

Continuity. The piece "October" from Tchaikovsky's "Seasons" op. 37 comes from an older recording by Evgeni Koroliov from 1992 (TACET 25). That was the time of the Yugoslav Wars and the collapse of the Soviet Union. I remember that Evgeni Koroliov, who was born in Moscow, spoke during a break in his gentle manner about how this music was for him a reminder of irretrievable times before the Russian revolution. 33 years later, Koroliov speaks as he did then, he has remained true to himself and his playing, the times are just as confused and uncertain. Even the sound is similar. Accordingly, the new recordings on this "Russian" CD are permeated by a similar longing for a better world, which never existed as beautifully as in this music. I am happy and grateful to have been able to accompany this quiet and expressive artist, who enriches the music world so lastingly, on TACET for such a long time. This is already his 26th recording on TACET and the second CD this year, the second of three!

Although Mignone wrote a large number of pieces for piano solo, his preference had always been for the orchestra, and for solo song. In his works for the piano the search for orchestral colour and texture is clearly evident in his use of ornamentation, spaced chords and explorations at the extreme ends of the keyboard. His focus on piano composition tended to be sporadic, producing many pieces in the 1940s, almost nothing in the 50s and early 60s, and eventually a return to larger forms, in particular the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sonatas. His works for piano solo fall into some natural groupings, the four sonatinas and four sonatas, more than thirty waltzes, and the the nine Lendas sertanejas. Of the remaining pieces two-thirds are written in a predominantly 19th century European language, and the remainder reflect the influence of Brazilian folklore, in rhythm and form. Adrian Farmer

Radamés Gnattali (b. Porto Alegre, 27 January 1906; d. Rio de Janeiro, 3 February 1988). Brazilian composer, pianist and conductor. Although classically trained his working life was dominated by popular music. His influence on the arrangements and orchestrations of Brazilian popular music was powerfully felt through his weekly broadcasts on Rádio Nacional which began in 1938, and continued into the mid 1950s. His own compositions are a conscious fusion of classical and popular idioms. Even though Gnattali’s association with popular music undoubtedly prejudiced his reception as a classical composer he was never critical or dissatisfied with Brazilian music. Even towards the end of his life he could say ‘I have never been frustrated with making popular music. I do it gladly and enjoy it very much … If I had gone to Europe, I might have been a great pianist – because I had the qualities for it – but I would never be a Brazilian composer’. This programme is primarily drawn from Gnattali’s earliest works. In this period he is either writing melodies in a popular style, or using folk melodies directly, and the characteristic shape of Brazilian song is never absent for long. [Adrian Farmer]

Fernândez’ work can be divided into three periods, the first (1918-22) is influenced by French Impressionism, the second (1923-38) is marked by the systematic use of folklore, particularly amerindian rhythms and harmonies, rather than ‘popular’ urban melodies. Finally (1939-48) was a period of increasing introspection and the development of a more universally recognised language. [Adrian Farmer]

Alfonso Rendano was at the forefront of Italy's instrumental composition renaissance in the late 19th-century but remains less well known than his near-contemporaries Giovanni Sgambati and Giuseppe Martucci. He was also a prominent pianist who performed with the illustrious violinist Joseph Joachim. The rhapsodic Piano Concerto, recorded here for the first time in it's original edition, was premiered in a version for two pianos in which the composer was joined by Franz Liszt who called it 'a vigorous, remarkable work, one I greatly appreciate'. The Allegro in A minor was rediscovered in 1969 and dates from Rendano's artistic maturity. The Piano Concerto is performed in Vito Cristofaro's edition and performed by him with Rendano's leading contemporary exponent, Daniela Roma.

Emanuel Moor (1863-1931) was the son of an opera singer and cantor from Kecskemet, Hungary. He studied in Budapest with Robert Volkmann and then in Vienna with Anton Bruckner and the pianist Anton Door. And there is no doubt that the city on the Danube left it's musical mark on his work, as the three piano trios presented here reveal. However, the point of departure for this trilogy does not start with his composition teachers, but with another famous counterpart, Johannes Brahms, who inspired not only Moor but also many of his younger compatriots. The chamber music of Bela Bartok and Erno Dohnanyi also led him down a path to produce a wide spiral of unique structures and modes of expression with the piano always to the fore. The composer's brilliant mastery of this instrument is combined with the two string instruments to create exciting constructions.

Concept of the album

‘(ré)inventions à deux pianos’ is a complete recomposition for two pianos of J.S. Bach's 15 two-part inventions by Luxembourgish pianist Chiahu ‘Chia-Chia’ Lee, arranged for her duo with Yulia Vershinina-Mukhopadhyay. It's a personal rewriting of Bach's work from the original score in the style of classical music fused with pop, minimalism and smooth jazz. The name of the album is derived from the French title of Bach’s work ‘inventions à deux voix’. Rediscover Bach’s famous work through the lens of this crossover composition which can appeal to connoisseurs and amateurs alike.

About the artists

The piano duo Vershinina/Lee (Yulia Vershinina-Mukhopadhyay & Chiahu ‘Chia-Chia’ Lee) began their collaboration with Rheinberger’s arrangement of Bach’s Goldberg Variations for two pianos, which they have performed in various concert halls in the UK and Luxembourg, including the Philharmonie in 2019, cementing their mutual fascination with Bach’s music.

The pianists met during their studies at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and their enduring friendship has set the ground for an exciting musical partnership. The idea of ‘variation’ has since been a red thread throughout their projects and led both women to constantly seek inspiration outside the conventional repertoire for two pianos. In fact, the duo has made it their aspiration to spread the word about lesser-known music and even write and arrange their own music.

In their recent Actart Concert at Luxembourg Conservatoire Yulia and Chia-Chia focused on works composed in the last 20 years by contemporary women composers.

Celebrated British pianist Martin Jones recorded the complete piano music of Jean Roger-Ducasse in 2015 (NI5927, 3 CDs). Along with Ravel, Roger-Ducasse joined the composition class of Gabriel Fauré. In 1902 he won the second Grand Prix de Rome, with Ravel gaining fourth prize. His style is not impressionist but descends from Chopin and more closely aligns with Fauré.

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.

The Austrian composer Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was one of the greatest composing child prodigies in history. His keyboard style was highly personal and fully formed from the start, yet he seems to have had hardly any instruction on the instrument. Apart from a few lessons when he was five years old (not from an eminent teacher, but a needy relative), he seems to have been entirely self-taught. Celebrated British pianist Martin Jones released NI 5705 The Complete Piano Music of Erich Korngold on 4 CDs which is still available. This compilation includes many of the prodigious works written even before Korngold entered his teenage years.

THE FUTURE is FEMALE is a three-volume series, which celebrates and highlights women composers from the 17th century to the present day. These albums encompass 30 compositions by women from around the globe and include many new commissioned works and world première recordings. Most pianists grow up with the classical canon, which has always excluded women composers as well as composers of colour. It is still standard practise to perform recitals consisting entirely of music written by men. The Future is Female aims to be a corrective towards rebalancing the repertoire. It does not attempt to be exhaustive, in any way, and the three albums in this series represent only a small fraction of the music by women which is waiting to be performed.

Vol. 1, In Nature, and Vol. 2, The Dance were released in 2022 to much critical acclaim. American pianist Sarah Cahill, hailed as ‘a sterling pianist and an intrepid illuminator of the classical avant-garde’ by The New York Times and ‘instrumental in bringing to life the music of many of our greatest living composers’ by Keyboard Magazine, has commissioned and premièred over 70 compositions for solo piano. She was named a 2018 Champion of New Music by the American Composers Forum.

Divine Art proudly presents the first vinyl edition of Fantasies, Burkard Schliessmann's wonderful interpretation of the solo piano works of Robert Schumann. Now issued as a triple gold audiophile LP, this deluxe pressing follows the album's acclaimed release on SACD and Dolby Atmos digital, which drew widespread praise for both it's sonic fidelity and interpretative depth. Recorded at Berlin's renowned Teldex Studios with producer Julian Schwenkner and engineer Jupp Wegner, the album uses a 14-microphone setup to capture the full breadth of Schliessmann's artistry - revealing the intricate emotional architecture and expression of Schumann's writing. Schliessmann draws out the music's structural sophistication, making bold connections to Wagner's Tristan, while with spacious, poetic lyricism. The result is a revelatory journey through Schumann's psyche - one that Schumann Journal described as "completely new, surprising and unexpected. a MUST!" (Irmgard Knechtges-Obrecht), while the American Record Guide hailed the album's "perfect" sound as "one of the most beautiful-sounding recordings I've heard recently" (Rob Haskins). Pressed on triple heavyweight gold vinyl, this edition delivers analogue warmth and detail that will reward the most discerning listener. A vital collector's release, Fantasies continues Burkard Schliessmann's legacy of uncompromising interpretations and outstanding recorded sound.

Ronald Smith approached Nimbus at a turbulent time in the industry. His long-time recording partnership was in transition, and he would make six visits to the Nimbus studio, a peaceful space in the ballroom of the Victorian mansion at Wyastone Leys just outside Monmouth. His initial visits in February and August 1980 were concerned with core repertoire: Chopin's Etudes Op. 10 and Op. 25, his Sonata Op. 58, and the Liszt Sonata. He returned in 1983 to record Liszt's transcription of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony and Busoni's transcription of Bach's Chaconne. In 1985 there were two visits: in May to record an album of popular Beethoven Sonatas, then in September to deliver Balakirev's B-flat minor Sonata and Scriabin's 'Black Mass' Sonata No. 9. A final visit in June 1986 was devoted to Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition. The sessions in 1980 were both 'analogue', being made on reel-to-reel tape machines. We had little idea how quickly such industry-wide state-of-the-art technology would be brutally swept aside by the arrival of digital recording, and it's market counterpart, the Compact Disc. Ronald's Chopin Etudes were released on LP the following year. The LP sleeve went as far as announcing the catalogue number of the upcoming Chopin/Liszt Sonata pairing. The master was approved and ready to go. But all things 'digital' upended all sense: the record world, it's media, and followers clamoured for digital recordings of standard works. Labels rushed to satisfy the demand (Nimbus was no exception), and unreleased 'analogue' masters fell into a dark hole. Ronald Smith's later digital recordings enjoyed immediate release, but not so the Chopin/Liszt Sonatas-until now, 45 years on. © Adrian Farmer

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. Cherkassky's first visit lasted four days-31 January to 3 February 1981. He immediately settled in the unusual setting. He stayed in the big house, not in a hotel, and walked into a studio so completely unlike the characterless spaces he had famously grown to decry. Here there was no sterile barrier to his inspiration. The grand Victorian reception room at Wyastone Leys served as a spectacular performance space, it's full-height windows framing commanding views down the Wye Valley. Shura loved it, signing a copy of his Pictures at an Exhibition LP, 'To everyone in Nimbus with love and the most wonderful feeling of inspiration'. The recordings made during these four days are all presented on this release. Most of them enjoyed only a brief release on LP. Because of their 'analogue' origin they have been denied subsequent re-issues. © Adrian Farmer

On 24 April 2026, Divine Art is proud to present the complete Annees de pelerinage Suites for solo piano by Franz Liszt, performed by the exciting Taiwanese-American pianist Brian Hsu. Released as a 3-CD set, this monumental cycle traces a physical and emotional journey by the composer through the magnificent alpine landscapes of Switzerland, the art and literature of Italy, and the journeys within. The album was recorded and engineered in Dolby Atmos® spatial audio by GRAMMY®-nominated producer Sergei Kvitko. Brian Hsu explains how the inception of the album came during COVID: "These pieces became a way for me to travel through music-to wander the mountains of Switzerland, drift along the canals of Venice, and encounter the art and architecture of Italy through Liszt's imagination. In a moment defined by isolation, this repertoire offered connection, motion, and emotional release." Hsu's performances trace these connections, bringing forth the vivid imagery, energy, youthful exploration, and outward discovery in Books I (Suisse) and II (Italie). His performances then underline how Book III unfolds as a spiritual pilgrimage-an inward journey shaped by reflection and acceptance. Brian Hsu was drawn from an early age to the imagination, virtuosity, emotional range, and expressive power of Liszt's music, and he took on the recording of this work as a "personal challenge". Recordings of the complete Suites have been achieved in full by fewer than two dozen pianists. Hsu presents Liszt not only as the virtuoso whose technical brilliance reshaped the piano literature, but as a poet, philosopher, and artist whose musical language evolved alongside his professional and personal life. Liszt is deeply associated with dazzling virtuosity and showmanship, but this represents only one facet of a composer whose artistic voice grew increasingly reflective, restrained, and forward-looking over time. Hsu's interpretation of Annees de pelerinage presents the comprehensive view that each Book offers a distinct emotional world, and that together, they form a narrative that mirrors the stages of a life well-lived. Since his concerto debut at the age of 16 with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Brian Hsu has gone on to establish himself as a pianist of electrifying energy and highly communicative performances. Critics have praised his playing in superlatives, noting his "breadth of expression and technical ability." Mr. Hsu has performed throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and South Africa, appearing as concerto soloist with such ensembles as the Philadelphia Orchestra, Taiwan National Symphony, Juilliard Orchestra, Haddonfield Symphony, Sendai Philharmonic, University of Michigan Symphony Orchestra, and music festivals. His performances have been broadcast nationally on WQXR radio in New York and All Classical Radio in Portland. In addition to competition successes, Mr. Hsu has been the recipient of numerous awards during his studies at The Juilliard School, Yale University, and the University of Michigan. An avid chamber musician, collaborator, and educator, Mr. Hsu continuously performs with distinguished artists worldwide and has given masterclasses at various colleges and universities throughout the United States and Asia. He is currently an associate professor of piano at the University of Oregon.

For the first time, all fourteen piano sonatas by the enigmatic Soviet composer Anatoly Alexandrov (1888-1982) are brought together in a single recording. Known for his richly lyrical style, Alexandrov's music resonates with the spirit of his contemporaries Nikolai Medtner and Sergei Rachmaninov while charting a distinctive artistic path. A prolific composer of solo piano and vocal works, Alexandrov's œuvre has remained on the periphery of the repertoire, cherished by pianophiles but largely overlooked by broader audiences. His sonatas, written over the course of six decades, reflect a fascinating stylistic evolution shaped by the sweeping socio-political transformations of the 20th century. This landmark recording sheds new light on Alexandrov's place within Soviet music, offering a nuanced perspective that reaches beyond the familiar giants of Prokofiev and Shostakovich. It is both a celebration of Alexandrov's artistry and an invitation to explore the depth and complexity of a musical legacy ripe for rediscovery. Through this ambitious project, pianist Clarisse Teo offers an eloquent and compelling case for Alexandrov's sonatas as essential listening for lovers of 20th-century music, revealing a forgotten corner of the piano repertoire that brims with emotional depth and historical resonance. Singaporean pianist Clarisse Teo is renowned for her bold exploration of lesser-known and contemporary repertoire, earning praise for her "confidently eclectic tastes" (The Straits Times, 2022). Her international career spans solo and chamber performances, including a featured appearance on the acclaimed album Rarities of Piano Music at 'Schloss vor Husum' from the 2019 Festival (Danacord Records). Trained in piano, violin, and viola, she holds multiple distinctions, including the FRSM in piano, and completed her Master of Music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on a partial scholarship. Clarisse's groundbreaking Doctor of Performing Arts degree from the University of St Andrews, supported by the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Trust and Trailblazer Foundation Ltd (Singapore), focused on the fourteen piano sonatas of Soviet composer Anatoly Alexandrov. Passionate about reshaping the classical canon, she brings fresh insight and vibrant artistry to the stage, redefining what it means to champion overlooked music.

The music that celebrates the agony of Romanticism, lives on a mysticism whose traces our materialism has rendered legendary. Around the artists of Art Nouveau (Liberty), is a proliferation of esoteric movements, in search of that link between soul and cosmic forces, which, in music, becomes sound.

Malcolm Binns (born 29 January 1936) was for half a century one of the UK's most significant pianists. He retired aged 80, but let's not forget his hugely eclectic career which ranged from giving the UK premiere of Prokofiev's 4th Piano Concerto in 1961 (and UK broadcast premiere, included here) to being the first pianist to record the complete Beethoven piano sonatas on original instruments. For this celebration we focus on his early career with several uniquely preserved BBC concerto recordings from the pianist's own collection, including a Proms performance featuring two concertos with Sir Malcolm Sargent, a rare LP on the Concert Artist label featuring works by Rubinstein and Alkan which were premiere recordings at the time, and, from much later, two of his most acclaimed recordings from the no longer active Pearl label.

Soulima Stravinsky was the third child of Igor and Yekaterina Stravinsky. His career in music encompassed performing as a recitalist and concerto soloist, particularly noted for interpretations of his father's music, musicology, education, and composition. Soulima's performing career was slowly expanded with achievements as a transcriber, editor, author, and composer, although in the later endeavour his work was inevitably overshadowed by his father's towering reputation. Soulima had a particular gift for composing music for children. He made two visits to the Nimbus Studios, in 1975 to record these performances of his father's music, and in 1977 to record his own music for children. This is the first release of these fine performances, fascinating not least for their specific historic significance. © Adrian Farmer

This set brings together twelve French-trained pianists performing thirteen French works for piano and orchestra of which ten are premiere recordings. Most of the performers knew the composers and worked with them and four works are performed by their composers. It's hard to imagine a more definitive view of this repertoire, recorded at a time when French pianism still had a very distinctive personal voice, and as such, these recordings, many little known, are a permanent legacy of their time.