Liszt: Liebestraum, S541 No. 1 (Nocturne in A flat major)

This reissue (Calliope) is a modern Lisztian landmark, with one of the finest readings of his 'Poetic and Religious Harmonies'. Pascal Amoyel is one of the few pianists to have understood the importance of this essentially declamatory music.

"Liszt's cycle Harmonies Poétiques et Religieuses has a special place in my repertoire. For years I've been studying it, watching it evolve, and continue to see it in a new light. And what child-like joy to rediscover works that one thought one knew well!

When I listen now to this recording made in 2007, I realize that an album is a snapshot of a precise moment and that this moment is itself already the benchmark of what one used to be and what one will become. Let's go even further: it's probably because it's "only" a snapshot that it's an authentic version. The present reissue recreates this type of fragility, a unique ephemeral moment of the creative act caught forever". Pascal Amoyel (June 2011)

Played by present-day and past masters of the keyboard, here is the ideal follow-up and complement to our Wild and Crazy Liszt compilation.

The first installment of Piano Classics Liszt Series - 2011 Bicentenary - presents French pianist Michel Dalberto. These recordings made for Denon in the 1990s show Dalberto's great dramatic and pianistic qualities, in monumental and moving performances of the Bénediction de Dieu dans la Solitude, the Weinen, Klagen Variations, the second book 'Italie' of Années de Pelerinage, and the 3 Liebesträume. Future releases in what will be the Liszt series, will include Claudio Arrau, Earl Wild, Jorge Bolet, Alfred Brendel, György Cziffra, Cyprien Katsaris ….

Lang Lang has recorded the official soundtrack for the highly anticipated block buster video game Gran Turismo 5 for PlayStation®.

The game is launched on 24th November 2010.

All eleven tracks on the album have been newly recorded especially for this purpose.

All works on the album are part of the video game.

The 3rd movement of Prokofiev’s Sonata No.7 (track 10) is used in full length in the opening sequence of Gran Turismo.

Bach’s Jesu, Joy Of Man’s Desiring (track 11) is featured in the final sequence.

The soundtrack consists entirely of very recognisable pieces of music.

Lang Lang’s extraordinary ability to reach out to a broad audiences and his affinity for new technologies make him the perfect artist for this project and give him scope to introduce classical music to a new and massive target group of gaming enthusiasts.