S�bastien �rard (1752-1831) came to Paris as an eager boy of sixteen. In 1777 he built the first ever French piano. He became a brilliant...

S�bastien �rard (1752-1831) came to Paris as an eager boy of sixteen. In 1777 he built the first ever French piano. He became a brilliant instrument maker (pianos, harps, organs), and patented numerous improvements for the piano which are still in use. It wasn't long before he had factories in both Paris and London: �rard became one of the biggest brands of the 19th century. Famous �rard owners included Haydn, Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Heller, Chopin, Liszt, Alkan, Franck, Faur�, Chausson, and Ravel. This release is recorded on a London Grand �rard from 1863. "I thought it would be fun to put together a labyrinthine programme, in which you could always take a different path after each piece and create new stories. This [album] is just one example, and everything takes place within the ranges of �rard." (Ksenia Kouzmenko)