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Martinu: Cello Sonatas Nos. 1-3 - Variations on a Theme of R
Chandos Jul 2010
CD
$21.99

Cohn: Symphonies Nos. 2 and 7 / Variations on The Wayfaring Stranger
Naxos May 2008
CD
$19.99

Farrenc: Symphony No. 1 & Overtures / Konig, Luxembourg Solistes Europeens

Naxos

$19.99 Feb 14, 2020

Louise Farrenc was renowned in her lifetime as a pianist, composer and teacher, but it is only recently that her compositions have emerged from many years of neglect, Symphony No. 1 in C minor- cast in the German tradition- is an exceptionally accomplished work, finely orchestrated, lyrical and fiery, and a substantial contribution to the canon. The Grand Variations on a Theme by Count Gallenberg is a showcase for virtuosic elegance, and the two overtures demonstrate real theatrical drama- Overture No. 2 was admired by no less a figure than Hector Berlioz.

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Farrenc: Symphony No. 1 & Overtures / Konig, Luxembourg Solistes Europeens
Naxos Feb 2020
CD
$19.99

Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. 1; Rococo Variations
Capriccio Nov 2011
CD
$21.99

Mahler: Symphony No. 1 - Elgar: Enigma Variations - Strauss
Urania Records Nov 2011
CD
$32.99

ELGAR: SYMPHONIES NOS.1-3 ENIGMA VARIATIONS CELLO

LSO LIVE

$25.99 Nov 24, 2023

Since the London Symphony Orchestra's foundation in 1904, the music and spirit of Sir Edward Elgar have lived in the Orchestra's blood. Elgar conducted the LSO during it's very first 1904-5 season of concerts, and the Orchestra's first Principal Conductor, Hans Richter, was a devoted champion of the composer's music both at home and abroad. Combining a remastered collection of the LSO's finest Elgar recordings, this album demonstrates the enduring significance of the composer's work for the LSO, and showcases performances by conductors Barry Tuckwell, Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos, Sir Colin Davis and Sir Antonio Pappano. The album features critically acclaimed, award-winning recordings of Elgar's Symphonies Nos 1-3, alongside orchestral favorites including Elgar's "Enigma" Variations, Cello Concerto, Imperial March and Pomp & Circumstance Marches.

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ELGAR: SYMPHONIES NOS.1-3 ENIGMA VARIATIONS CELLO
LSO LIVE Nov 2023
CD
$25.99

Chopin: The Young Chopin / Zuber, Lin, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra

Azica Records

$18.99 Nov 18, 2022

Hailed as an “irresistibly fluid” by The New York Times and “illuminating” by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, pianist Eric Zuber releases his debut album, The Young Chopin, with the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra and conductor Wilbur Lin. The release celebrates the early piano repertoire of Frédéric Chopin (1810 – 1849), including his Variations on ‘Là ci darem la mano’ from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Op. 2; Andante spianato & Grande polonaise brillante, Op. 22; and his Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, Op. 11.

Zuber writes, “The ingenuity of [Chopin’s early] piano writing shows a complete technical understanding of the craft of the instrument, and the seductive beauty of his melodic and harmonic writing is second to none. And to think he was only 17 when he wrote the variations as a school assignment! These early compositions are tremendously difficult from a technical perspective, and Chopin was clearly seeking to showcase his abilities as a pianist. Yet, there is little of the empty displays of virtuosity that appear in the works of some of his contemporaries. Everything serves a purpose to create a clear emotional effect.”

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Chopin: The Young Chopin / Zuber, Lin, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
Azica Records Nov 2022
CD
$18.99

Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 5 / Vogt, Royal Northern Sinfonia

Ondine

$18.99 May 19, 2017

Lars Vogt continues his Ondine recordings with a new cycle of Beethoven’s Piano Concertos. Conducting the Royal Nothern Sinfonia from the keyboard Lars Vogt shows the brilliance and the beauty of these two majestic works of the classic piano concerto literature.

Beethoven made an early reputation for himself as a keyboard player. Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 5 feature two opposite sides in Beethoven’s career: the 1st concerto is a masterpiece by a young composer in his 20s who is already looking into new dimensions of musical expression. Although it was his first published piano concerto Beethoven had already made serious attemps in the genre – large part of the material to his 2nd concerto also predate the 1st concerto.

The 5th concerto, commonly known as the Emperor concerto, was written between his 6th and 7th Symphonies when Vienna was under Napoleon’s occupation. During bombardment Beethoven, now 39 and increasingly deaf, had sheltered in the cellar of his brother, covering his head with a pillow against the noise of the cannons. Beethoven dedicated the work to Archduke Rudolph who had fled the city. Despite of its joyful, optimistic and hopeful character, occasionally echoes of war disrupt the work creating a strong impact. The work was premiered two years later in November 1811.

Lars Vogt was appointed the first ever “Pianist in Residence” by the Berlin Philharmonic in 2003/04 and enjoys a high profile as a soloist and chamber musician. His debut solo recording on Ondine with Bach’s Goldberg Variations (ODE 1273-2) was released in August 2015 and has been a major critical success. The album’s tracks have also been streamed online over 6 million times. Lars Vogt started his tenure as Music Director of the Royal Northern Sinfonia in September 2015.

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Beethoven: Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 5 / Vogt, Royal Northern Sinfonia
Ondine May 2017
CD
$18.99

J. S. Bach: Goldberg Variationen

Berlin Classics

$19.99 Sep 11, 2026

In this album Bach's famous Goldberg Variations are newly arranged for Saxophone, Cello and Accordion. With Asya Fateyeva and Eckart Runge two renowned Berlin Classics artists get together, joined by accordionist Andreas Borregaard. Asya Fateyeva has brought the saxophone into the spotlight through her excellent recordings, new arrangements and concerts for her instrument as well as impressive media attention (including her own TV documentary on ARTE). Eckart Runge was founding member of the Artemis Quartet; he is also an acclaimed soloist and has already released several solo albums on Berlin Classics.

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J. S. Bach: Goldberg Variationen
Berlin Classics Sep 2026
CD
$19.99

GOLDBERG VARIATIONEN
Querstand Mar 2005
CD
$20.99

Brahms: Symphony No. 2, Haydn Variations & Academic Festival Overture / Dausgaard, Swedish Chamber Orchestra

BIS

SACD

$10.99 ~~$21.99~~ Save 50% Jan 05, 2018

On a number of previous recordings, the 40-odd members of the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and Thomas Dausgaard have shed a new light on the Romantic symphonic repertoire, with performances described as ‘tight’, ‘invigorating’, ‘transparent’ and ‘thrilling’. Complete cycles of the symphonies of Schumann and Schubert have appeared alongside individual discs with music by Dvorák, Bruckner and Tchaikovsky, as well as a recording of Johannes Brahms’s First Symphony, released in 2012. The disc was named Recommendation of the Month in the German magazine Fono Forum, while the reviewer in International Record Review described it as ‘an account to make one hope a complete traversal is in the offing’. Five years later that hope is nearing fulfilment, as the team’s recording of Symphony No. 2 is released. Composed during the summer of 1877, which Brahms spent at the idyllic Wörthersee, it is one of his sunniest works, often compared to Beethoven’s Pastoral symphony. It’s followed by the Haydn Variations, in which Brahms was able to combine one of his favourite musical forms – that of theme and variations – with his deep admiration for Joseph Haydn. (Fortunately, the discovery that the theme in question, known as the ‘St Antoni Chorale’, wasn’t by Haydn after all was made long after Brahms’s death.) The programme continues with other favourites in Brahms’s production, including his greatest commercial success in the form of three of the hugely popular set of Hungarian Dances for piano, here in orchestrations by Thomas Dausgaard. The album ends in similarly high spirits, with the Academic Festival Overture and its rousing and jubilant C major coda.

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Brahms: Symphony No. 2, Haydn Variations & Academic Festival Overture / Dausgaard, Swedish Chamber Orchestra
BIS Jan 2018
SACD
~~$21.99~~ $10.99

Chopin Edition

Brilliant Classics

$32.48 ~~$64.99~~ Save 50% Sep 22, 2023

This refreshed Chopin Edition from Brilliant Classics retains many of the definitive recordings from its predecessor of 2015, but boasting some exciting updates. The Concertos and piano concertante music are consolidated in a bright new cycle from Czechia, recorded last autumn by Siberian superstar Ekaterina Litvintseva and the KFPar under Mardirossian. Schmitt-Leonardy’s sonatas are joined by No. 1 – recorded late in 2015, and therefore just missing inclusion in the previous edition – bringing the complete cycle under his fingers. Alwin Bär’s own Scherzi performances are reunited with his iconic 1998 recording of the Barcarolle, Fantasy and Berceuse. The Études are featured in a stunning complete cycle recorded in 2014 by the phenomenal Chopinist and 2023 OPUS KLASSIK double-nominee Zlata Chochieva. Finally the complete Nocturnes are given over to another noted young Chopin interpreter: the 2018 Geza Anda winner Claire Huangci, who recorded the set two years earlier, in 2016.

REVIEW:

In 2015 Brilliant Classics issued a complete Chopin edition culled from both original productions and licensed recordings from other labels, and featuring a variety of musicians. The label’s revised 2023 Chopin edition retains roughly two-thirds of the contents, while substituting about six CDs worth of alternative performances. Is it “new and improved”? Mostly yes. Here is a rundown of the contents:

Discs 1 & 2: The 2015 Chopin box featured Eva Kupiec in the two concertos (amazingly conducted by Stanislaw Skrowaczewski), with Abbey Simon in the other concerted works. Here we have less individual yet elegantly transparent performances of the entire Chopin piano/orchestra oeuvre with Ekaterina Litvintseva, supported by Vahan Mardirossian leading the Czech Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra Pardubice.

Discs 3 & 4: The well-played chamber works with violinist Duccio Ceccanti, cellist Vittorio Ceccanti, and pianist Simone Gragnani are held over from 2015. So are Anna Haase’s slightly tremulous yet heartfelt Polish songs, superbly accompanied by Lucius Rühl.

Disc 5: Zlata Chochieva’s Etudes count among my top five recommendations in these works, wisely replacing Alessandro Deljavan’s mannered and overloaded readings.

Disc 6: As before, we have Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy’s intelligently paced and imaginatively detailed Ballades and Impromptus.

Disc 7: Folke Nauta’s broad and sonorous readings of the standard seven Polonaises are back, along with his rather underplayed Andante spianato e Grande polonaise.

Disc 8: The youthful Polonaises plus unimportant minor works like the Bourées, the Largo in E-flat, and the Fugue again turn up in Alessandra Ammaro’s splendid and mindfully virtuosic renditions.

Disc 9: The label replaces Fred Oldenburg’s good, workmanlike recording of the First sonata with a superior version from Wolfram Schmitt-Leonardy, while retaining the latter’s wonderful Second and Third sonatas. Recently I compared his recording of the Second sonata’s strange Finale next to those of Horowitz and Rubinstein, and actually found Schmitt-Leonardy’s creative inflections more engaging (sound clip).

Disc 10: In place of Ivan Moravec’s Four Scherzos (originally issued by Dorian), we have Alwin Bär’s scintillating 1998 cycle, coupled with his equally compelling Fantasy in F minor and Barcarolle, along with a rather fussy Berceuse.

Disc 11: A hodgepodge of performances. I raved in detail about Schmitt-Leonardy’s reference-worthy Op. 28 Preludes when they first came out. Paolo Giacometti shines in the C-sharp minor Prelude Op. 45, Oldenburg serves up the Three Ecossaises quite well, while Marian Mika plays two versions each of the Waltz in F minor Op. 70 No. 2 and the Funeral March Op. 72 No. 2 using alternative texts.

Discs 12 & 13: Rem Urasin’s Mazurka cycle evokes the high rhetoric and subjectivity of pianists like Jean-Marc Luisada and Andrew Rangell, minus their eccentricity. Just don’t expect lightness, humor, or snappy embellishments.

Discs 14 & 15: Claire Huangci’s rippling and graceful pianism in the Nocturnes differs from the seasoned drama of the Earl Wild cycle that appeared in the 2015 box. The Duo Pianistico di Firenze’s Rondo Op. 73 and Variations in D fill out CD 15.

Disc 16: Alessandro Deljavan works overtime trying to emulate the great Romantic pianists, yet his lurching phrasings and contrived voicings throughout the Waltzes often belabor the obvious and fail to ring true. The piano itself sounds poorly regulated, and doesn’t always hold its tuning.

Disc 17: Frank van de Laar basically picks up the slack, playing the Rondos, the Variations brilliantes Op. 12, the Bolero Op. 19, the Allegro de concert Op. 46, and the Tarantella Op. 43 with plenty of finesse and good taste, if not quite matching Vladimir Ashkenazy’s ebullience.

For its attractive price tag and overall consistency (have Rubinstein’s Waltzes and Mazurkas handy, though!) Brilliant Classics’ 2023 Chopin Edition holds its own alongside similar multi-artist complete Chopin collections on other labels featuring bigger names. It should appeal to general music lovers just getting started with Chopin’s music who wish to take a deep dive into the composer’s oeuvre.

-- ClassicsToday.com (Jed Distler)

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Chopin Edition
Brilliant Classics Sep 2023
CD
~~$64.99~~ $32.48

Works for Solo Piano (Complete) – Scherzo Ricercato / Passacaglia / Grotesque Dance / Prelude in D / Fantasy Rondo / Four Two-Part Inventions / For Lenny, Variation on New York, New York / Solo

Naxos

$19.99 Feb 22, 2005

Lukas Foss may be regarded as a mirror of twentieth century music, since his works seem more influenced by other composers and trends than influential in their own right. Whether experimenting with neo-Classicism, as in his Two-Part Inventions (4) (1938), the Passacaglia (1940), the Prelude in D (1951), and the Scherzo Ricercato (1954), or dabbling with popular song in his Grotesque Dance (1938) and the Fantasy Rondo (1944), Foss toys with styles and mannerisms with an amused detachment. Ever mindful of his craft but reticent in expression and apparently unconcerned with originality, Foss seems to approach composition with a utilitarian attitude, and his results are quite similar to Hindemith's Gebrauchs music. Even in such late works as the stylistically varied Solo (1981) and the witty For Lenny, Variations on "New York, New York" (1987), Foss seems a distant observer, and writes what is effective without revealing much of his own personality. Pianist Scott Dunn plays these works with a crisp touch and a disciplined control of line, but at no point does he express more than Foss indicates.

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Works for Solo Piano (Complete) – Scherzo Ricercato / Passacaglia / Grotesque Dance / Prelude in D / Fantasy Rondo / Four Two-Part Inventions / For Lenny, Variation on New York, New York / Solo
Naxos Feb 2005
CD
$19.99

Goldberg Variationen

Ars Produktion

$18.99 Oct 17, 2025

Since his student days, the German-Taiwanese pianist Marcel Mok has hardly studied any other work as frequently and intensively as Bach's Goldberg Variations BWV 988. It was therefore only logical not only to conclude his studies with this variation cycle, but also to make his recording debut with it. The result of this exploration absolutely proves him right!

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Goldberg Variationen
Ars Produktion Oct 2025
CD
$18.99

Mix & Match

Grieg: Works For Orchestra / Abravanel, Utah Symphony
Vox Jan 1991
CD
$29.99

Grigory Ginzburg Early Recordings, Vol. 2: Chopin, Weber & Schumann

APR

$18.99 May 01, 2010

GRIGORY GINZBURG: His Early Recordings • Grigory Ginzburg (pn) • APR 5667 (Volume 1; 77:29); 5672 (Volume 2; 78:34); mono

Volume 1: BEETHOVEN/RUBINSTEIN Turkish March. LISZT Hungarian Rhapsodies : Nos. 10, 11. Les Cloches de Genève. Paganini Etudes: Nos. 3, 4, 5 . Venezia e Napoli. Rigoletto Paraphrase. LISZT/BUSONI Fantasia on The Marriage of Figaro. GINZBURG Transcription of Largo al factotum. BALAKIREV Islamey

Volume 2: BACH/BUSONI Toccata and Fugue in d. WEBER Rondo brillante in E?. SCHUMANN Paganini Etudes: Nos. 2, 3, 4. “Abegg” Variations. CHOPIN Impromptus: Nos. 1, 2, 3. Fantasy Impromptu . Polonaise in B?. Polonaise in A?. STRAUSS/GRUNFELD Voices of Spring. STRAUSS/SCHULZ-EVLER Concert Arabesque on The Blue Danube

These have to be among the greatest piano records ever made. Grigory Ginzburg (1904–61) was virtually an exact contemporary of another great Russian pianist, Vladimir Sofronitzky, and while neither was known in the West while alive, Sofronitzky has developed a somewhat wider reputation with the music-loving public than Ginzburg. After listening to these two CDs, and then following up with excellent volumes of live performance recordings on the Vox Aeterna label, it is clear to me that Ginzburg was one of the giants of the keyboard in the 20th century—different from, and at least the equal of, Sofronitzky.

Ginzburg was a student of Alexander Goldenweiser, one of the most significant of the Russian teachers of the first half of the 20th century. His early death prevented him from touring outside of Russia, because most of that happened after 1961. Some of his contemporaries, like Lev Oborin, lived into the 1970s and appeared in America and Europe. Gilels was born in 1916, but lived into the middle 1980s and had a big international career. Soviet artists before 1960 were buried, at least to the rest of us, inside Russia. And since they didn’t concertize in the West, neither did they record for any of the international labels—instead confining their recorded work to Melodiya. As more of this material comes out, we see what treasures were hidden behind the iron curtain. Among all those treasures, Ginzburg stands out.

What makes this piano playing so special? Just about everything. He makes the most difficult music sound easy—whether it is Liszt Paganini Etudes or his own transcription of Figaro’s “Largo al factotum” from The Barber of Seville , nothing seems to actually present any problem to his fingers. Every note is articulated with precisely the right weight and color; everything is in perfect proportion. His sense of balance between the poetic and the virtuosic is unique. He plays with flair and theatricality, but at the same time with a beauty of tone and purity of line that always touches as much as the virtuosity amazes. Even on these recordings, which date from the 1940s and 50s, the beauty of Ginzburg’s tone comes through (especially in Bryan Crimp’s superb transfers), and the remarkable variety of his dynamics is jaw-dropping. There seems to be an infinite number of variants of mezzo-piano , or piano , or forte . Listen to the repeated notes in Liszt’s La Campanella and you’ll be almost physically shocked at the clarity and evenness of the playing. Every single note is in place— completely in place. What is particularly unique about his playing is that he manages to have great fun with the showy elements of this music without a hint of vulgarity. The Liszt Hungarian Rhapsodies can easily be cheapened by over-indulging. Or they lose their character by a pianist taking them too seriously. Ginzburg does neither—all of the fun and flair that you would want is here, but at the same time a deeper beauty that one does not always encounter in this music. And if there is a pianist with a more vocal sense of singing line, of what a true cantabile is, I haven’t encountered him.

After you have heard Ginzburg’s playing on these two discs, which consist entirely of shorter pieces, you might well want to go on to explore the five volumes of live performances released on Vox Aeterna. You can do an artist search at ArkivMusic to find them. Larger works such as Schumann’s Carnaval , Chopin sonatas, and Liszt concerti are available in that series.

I don’t think you can compare Ginzburg to any of the other Soviet-era pianists. He’s not Gilels, he’s not Richter, he’s not Lazar Berman. He is, in fact, Grigory Ginzburg, a pianist who, like any great artist, defines his own territory. We are indebted to APR for making these two discs available, and for the superb quality of the production. In addition to excellent transfers, Bryan Crimp provides illuminating, intelligent notes.

FANFARE: Henry Fogel

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Grigory Ginzburg Early Recordings, Vol. 2: Chopin, Weber & Schumann
APR May 2010
CD
$18.99

Lucas Debargue: Gershwin Variations

Sony Masterworks

$24.99 Oct 16, 2026

In two virtuosic parts, the brilliant and internationally renowned pianist Lucas Debargue reinterprets-and even reimagines-the repertoire of the illustrious American composer George Gershwin in a unique and personal way. The first part of the album, recorded during a memorable evening at the Philharmonie de Paris in September 2025 on Stephen Paulello's unique SP/287 piano, features the famous Three Preludes and Concerto in F, accompanied by the Orchestre de Paris conducted by Elim Chan. Also included: a highly personal version of Rhapsody in Blue, enriched with the pianist's own cadenzas. The second part, recorded at the Paulello Studio, is entirely devoted to twelve virtuosic etudes composed by Lucas from Gershwin's most popular songs, spanning all chromatic keys. This cycle represents the most ambitious creation of his career as a pianist to date, affirming a deep commitment to freedom and invention, while placing itself in the tradition of the great composers who wrote their own etudes. Gershwin's most celebrated works appear reimagined: The Man I Love, Someone to Watch Over Me, Ain't Necessarily So, They Can't Take That Away From Me, I Got Rhythm plus 20 variations on the theme of Summertime! Internationally acclaimed pianist Lucas Debargue's Gershwin Variations stand as an ambitious and unprecedented project, born from the desire to explore a radically different universe after recording Scarlatti sonatas and the complete solo piano works of Faure. This double album is an ode to George Gershwin, an unclassifiable composer standing at the crossroads of classical music and jazz, whose singularity inspired Lucas to create a work equally impossible to categorize. The Gershwin Variations is neither a classical album nor a jazz album, but a hybrid work reflecting the anticonformist spirit and the American dream embodied by Gershwin. Lucas offers a bold and poetic reinterpretation in which counterpoint, shifting harmonies, and unconventional rhythms reveal the richness of Gershwin's melodies. He invites listeners to rediscover a repertoire where popularity is never synonymous with triviality, and where music becomes a space for freedom, daring, and vitality.

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Lucas Debargue: Gershwin Variations
Sony Masterworks Oct 2026
CD
$24.99

Gershwin: Concerto In F, Rhapsody No 2, I Got Rhythm Variations / Orion Weiss [blu-ray Audio]

Naxos AudioVisual

Blu-Ray

$8.49 ~~$16.99~~ Save 50% Feb 28, 2012

This is an audio-only (i.e., with no video content) Blu-ray disc playable only on Blu-ray players.

Also available on standard CD

George Gershwin’s Concerto in F was a response to demands for a ‘proper concerto’ after the success of Rhapsody in Blue, avoiding programmatic content while providing a feast of tunes both uplifting and nostalgic. Originally intended as music for a film, his up-beat Rhapsody No 2 describes the bustling Manhattan cityscape while under construction. Sourced from his hit musical Girl Crazy, I Got Rhythm Variations was Gershwin’s last full score. Pianist Orion Weiss is one of the most sought-after soloists and collaborators of his generation of young American musicians.

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Gershwin: Concerto In F, Rhapsody No 2, I Got Rhythm Variations / Orion Weiss [blu-ray Audio]
Naxos AudioVisual Feb 2012
Blu-Ray
~~$16.99~~ $8.49

Brahms: Symphonies Nos 1-4; Haydn Variations, Overtures / Saraste, Wdr Sinfonieorchester

Profil

$32.99 Jun 01, 2018

The four symphonies of Johannes Brahms give emphasis to his significance as a composer more than any other works he wrote. He struggled for a long time before producing his first symphonic work – with Beethoven’s larger-than-life example before his eyes, the “giant”, whom he could hear marching behind him, as he once quipped. It took Brahms twenty years to complete his first symphony in 1876 – at the age of 43 – and another eight for the three further symphonies. All four of these historic works are presented on this release from Jukka-Pekka Saraste and the WDR Sinfonieorchester. In the more than sixty years of its existence, the WDR Symphony Orchestra of Cologna has established itself as one of the most important European radio orchestras. Stylistic versatility is the special trademark of the WDR Symphony Orchestra. Jukka-Pekka Saraste became principal conductor of the WDR Symphony Orchestra at the beginning of the 2010/2011 season. The orchestra and conductor can already look back at many years of working successfully together.

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Brahms: Symphonies Nos 1-4; Haydn Variations, Overtures / Saraste, Wdr Sinfonieorchester
Profil Jun 2018
CD
$32.99

Kapustin: Piano Sonatas 1 & 7; Etudes; Variations

Piano Classics

$21.99 Nov 13, 2015

The composer and pianist Nikolai Kapustin has criss-crossed the territories of classical and jazz throughout his long career. The Korean pianist Sun Hee You presents a collection of Kapustin's piano works that feature the range of Kapustin's output, from the complex works of great depth that his sonatas represent, to his homage to Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" contained within his Variations and the pieces that bear the unmistakable cadences and influences that Kapustin's 1950s jazz forays left with him. Her performance both a stunning virtuosity with a clear grasp of Kapustin's sensibilities and make for a fine introduction to this composer little known outside of Russia.

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Kapustin: Piano Sonatas 1 & 7; Etudes; Variations
Piano Classics Nov 2015
CD
$21.99

Beethoven: The Complete Variations, Bagatelles & Clavierstucke / Brautigam

BIS

SACD

$59.99 Sep 20, 2019

Between 2003 and 2015, Ronald Brautigam recorded all of Beethoven’s music for solo piano – a huge undertaking resulting in a grand total of 15 highly acclaimed albums. Choosing to perform the works on the fortepiano, Brautigam began with a sonata cycle which caused one reviewer to talk of a challenge to ‘the very notion of playing this music on modern instruments, a stylistic paradigm shift.’ In 2010, after nine albums of sonatas, he went on to record the composer’s variations, bagatelles and other piano pieces – a staggering array of works ranging from a Bagatelle lasting 11 seconds to the monumental Diabelli Variations, and from a charming Rondo in C major composed by a 13-year old Beethoven, to what is often referred to as the composer's ‘Last Musical Thought’, an Andante maestoso dated 1826. Brautigam’s sonata recordings were released in a box set in 2014, and they are now followed by this 6-album set of the remaining works for solo piano, in the original hybrid format, and with full documentation in the form of the original booklets. Composed over the course of more than 40 years, the music is performed on three different instruments, all by the master builder Paul McNulty, demonstrating the rapid development that the fortepiano underwent during Beethoven’s lifetime.

REVIEWS:

This is a wonderful set, in which Ronald Brautigam excels in his conclusion to his survey of the complete solo piano music of Beethoven. I appreciate that some people do not like the sound of the fortepiano, but the instruments chosen for this set and edition as a whole, show the breadth of sound that was available at the time, and some people will be surprised by just how full a sound it is. Brautigam’s choice of tempos is well-measured and thoughtful, and his playing is nuanced throughout, resulting in this set being one that I have found difficult to take off my CD player. The performances certainly mark Brautigam out as a leading interpreter of Beethoven’s music regardless of the style and type of piano used.

– MusicWeb International

Brautigam’s fortepiano survey is magnificent, comprising four full discs of variations (including Eroica and Diabelli), the complete bagatelles, rondos and other miscellaneous pieces. Disc 1 begins with a charming rendition of the Op 33 set followed by a tranche of pieces dating mainly from the 1790s; the late sets Opp 119 and 126 are delivered with a sense of simplicity that can only come from depth of knowledge.

– International Piano

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Beethoven: The Complete Variations, Bagatelles & Clavierstucke / Brautigam
BIS Sep 2019
SACD
$59.99

Chopin: Piano Concerto No 2; Variations On "La Ci Darem" / Nebolsin, Wit, Warsaw PO

Naxos

$19.99 Oct 26, 2010

CHOPIN Piano Concerto No. 2. Variations on “Là ci darem la mano.” Andante spianato and Grande Polonaise brillante • Eldar Nebolsin (pn); Antoni Wit, cond; Warsaw Phil O • NAXOS 8.572336 (62:53)

Eldar Nebolsin was born in Uzbekistan in 1974. He eventually went on to study with Dmitri Bashkirov, before garnering international attention after winning the Santander International Piano Competition back in 1992. In addition, he was awarded the Sviatoslav Richter Prize in the International Piano Competition, Moscow, in 2005. He is a name that is new to me, and I’m glad that I had the opportunity to hear a bit of what he’s doing right now. He has the kind of virtuosity that is less apparent than other pianists’, because he always seems to be completely in touch, musically, with what he’s doing—and not for the sake of showing off what he can do. He has a fluid sound, and a good lyrical sense—sometimes losing the rhythmic bite, the quirkiness of the rhythms, but always maintaining a beautiful sound. The concerto’s first movement is perfectly paced to bring out the Maestoso character that is asked for in its tempo marking. But again, sometimes the music loses that aforementioned bite and consequently its momentum. The way Nebolsin handles the delicate filigrees of the concerto’s Larghetto, though, is just one example of his good taste in never over-sentimentalizing this music. The Allegretto vivace that follows is equally well done, having an almost eerie, misterioso quality to it from the very beginning of the movement. The pianist shines especially in these latter two. The Mozart Variations—the piece that Schumann was so impressed with that he called Chopin a genius—has never been hugely popular in this century. Nebolsin does a good job of letting the music flow naturally, while keeping the textures of the piano figuration light and airy—not so easy, considering the difficulty of these etude-like variations. Antoni Wit and the Warsaw Philharmonic provide excellent accompaniment, surging when necessary, supporting at other times, and getting out of the way when the soloist comes to the fore...The variations are splendid, and Nebolsin gets my vote for one of the best available.

FANFARE: Scott Noriega

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Chopin: Piano Concerto No 2; Variations On "La Ci Darem" / Nebolsin, Wit, Warsaw PO
Naxos Oct 2010
CD
$19.99

Flute Music (Complete), Vol. 1 – Caprice Variations / Between Two Worlds, "Ukiyo-e III" / Slow Fires of Autumn, "Ukiyo-e II"

Naxos

$19.99 Mar 10, 2015

The few pieces that George Rochberg wrote for flute are as bold and individualistic as anything in his oeuvre. His ability to compose in an astonishing variety of voices is clearly shown in the Caprice Variations, based on Paganini's famous melody, in homage to composers from Bach to Bartok. Christina Jennings' transcriptions challenge the player with dynamic, technical and stylistic extremes. Rochberg's Ukiyo-e pieces are among his most beautiful and haunting works. Praised for her virtuoso technique and rich tone, flutist Christina Jennings is an acknowledged expert in Rochberg's music.

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Flute Music (Complete), Vol. 1 – Caprice Variations / Between Two Worlds, "Ukiyo-e III" / Slow Fires of Autumn, "Ukiyo-e II"
Naxos Mar 2015
CD
$19.99

E.ANDREE: 2 Organ Symphonies / Chorale with variations / Sym
Swedish Society Dec 1998
CD
$20.99

Farrenc: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 2 - Themes & Variations, Part I / Maria Stratigou

Grand Piano

$19.99 Aug 11, 2023

Louise Farrenc was acclaimed as a pianist and pedagogue, one of the few women to teach an instrument at the Paris Conservatoire in the 19th century, and was admired by Robert Schumann and others for her compositions. This second of six volumes dedicated to Farrenc’s complete works for piano focuses on her Theme and Variations sets.

Maria Stratigou’s recording of the Études (GP912-13) was considered ‘beguiling piano music’ in BBC Music Magazine, confirming once again that Farrenc has been unjustly neglected as a composer.

REVIEW:

Over 50 minutes here are world premier recordings—7 of the 9 tracks—all written in the 1820s. There are brilliant parts all through these, but they are more elegant and expressive than the run of the mill variations.

Stratigou is clearly well qualified to tackle Farrenc’s piano works. Her joy in this music is evident not only in her playing, but in her beautifully written booklet essay. She has a full mastery of Farrenc’s romantic style and a technique to match.

-- American Record Guide

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Farrenc: Complete Piano Works, Vol. 2 - Themes & Variations, Part I / Maria Stratigou
Grand Piano Aug 2023
CD
$19.99