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A fantastic selection of concertos from the American Jazz Age including Gershwin’s immortal A Rhapsody in Blue, heard here in its complete original version for jazz band, orchestrated by Ferde Grofé. Grofé also orchestrated the Concerto in Three Rhythms by Dana Suesse (dubbed ‘Girl Gershwin’ by The New Yorker. The second theme from her Jazz Nocturne became a popular hit when Bing Crosby crooned it under the title My Silent Love.

Playing a golden-toned 10-course lute and using original manuscript sources or his own sensitive reconstructions, British lutenist Nigel North presents a delightful recital of dances by Robert Johnson, a contemporary of Shakespeare for whose plays he wrote songs and incidental music.

Although they use the old forms of pavan, galliard, almain and fantasie, Johnson’s exquisite works tend towards the more expansive, lyrical style that would later flourish in the Baroque period.

Nigel North’s critically acclaimed boxed set of Dowland’s Complete Lute Music is also available (8504016).

Drawing on the Chopin model of alternating major and minor keys, as well as on Russian folk melodies, Kabalevsky’s 24 Preludes (1943-4) find the composer’s writing at its most distinctive.

They are coupled with the early 4 Preludes (1927), in which the influence of Prokofiev is seldom far away, and the Preludes and Fugues (1958-9), six widely contrasting and expressive preludes yoked to their traditional fugal partners.

This is the second recording of Kabalevsky’s piano music by Alexandre Dossin, First Prize and Special Prize winner at the 2003 Martha Argerich International Piano Competition. The three Piano Sonatas can be heard on Naxos 8.570822.

“Alexandre Dossin is an accomplished musician and a wonderful pianist. I had the opportunity to hear him play solo, chamber music and concertos. His performances are magnificent, with very pure musical insight and an extreme sensitivity, together with real virtuosity and a very personal way of unfolding interesting ideas. The feeling that there is always more coming makes his performances a very strong experience.” Martha Argerich

Performed on this recording by Alexandre Dossin, First Prize and Special Prize winner at the 2003 Martha Argerich International Piano Competition, Kabalevsky’s highly virtuoso Piano Sonata No. 2 represents the peak of the composer’s writing for solo piano.

It is coupled with the early Sonata No. 1, in which the influence of Prokofiev is seldom far away, the bitter-sweet Sonata No. 3 and the two crisply neo-classical Sonatinas.

Kabalevsky’s Piano Concertos Nos. 1 and 2 (8557683) and No. 3 (8557794) are also available on Naxos.

“Alexandre Dossin is an accomplished musician and a wonderful pianist. I had the opportunity to hear him play solo, chamber music and concertos. His performances are magnificent, with very pure musical insight and an extreme sensitivity, together with real virtuosity and a very personal way of unfolding interesting ideas. The feeling that there is always more coming makes his performances a very strong experience.” Martha Argerich