Chopin: Prelude Op. 28 No. 2 in A minor

This CD has been released in memory of Tatiana Shebanova, who died last year, not long after these recordings were made. It shows the exceptional relationship which she had with the historic Erard piano heard here. She fell in love with the instrument the very first time she played it.

This double-CD set includes all of Ivo Pogorelich’s solo Chopin recordings: complete sets of Preludes and Scherzos, the “Funeral March” Sonata – in a recital that includes Etudes, the Polonaise op. 44 and the timeless E-flat Nocturne op. 55 no. 2. Pogorelich brings all of his magnificent technique and virtuosity to these masterpieces.

”Second to none in sheer keyboard brilliance … everything he does is always done with princely authority.” (Gramophone)

These recordings were made in Munich in 1955 and 1956. The bonus is Cortot performing the 4 Impromptus by Chopin, recorded in London on 5th July 1934.

Chopin’s 24 Preludes Op.28 are written in the tradition of J S Bach and this work is particularly attractive to organists. The pieces have been adapted for organ, but Gunther Rost has not changed the musical texts. He performs on the Seifert organ in the Church of the Virgin Mary in Kevelaer which is the largest romantic German organ in the world.

Florence Delaage began studying the piano at the age of four. She was later discovered by Alfred Cortot and studied with him. On this recording, she performs on Cortot’s piano, which he bequeathed to her. She has performed throughout the world and has taught at three Paris conservatories. Each year she performs Wagner-Liszt transcriptions at Bayreuth.

This fourth instalment in the Naxos series of Rubinstein’s middle period Chopin recordings (after the two Piano Concertos on 8111296, the Polonaises on 8111346 and the Waltzes and Impromptus on 8111365) presents recordings from the two extreme ends of the period. The Sonata and Preludes were recorded in 1946 and first issued on 78 rpm discs, while the remaining selections were recorded on tape in 1957 and 1958. When the recording of the Preludes, Rubinstein’s only committal of the work to disc, was issued in the UK in 1955, Gramophone declared: ‘As a whole, this masterly performance is the best we have had so far of Chopin’s great work’.

Reissue Producer & Audio Restoration Engineer: Mark Obert-Thorn

These recordings were originally recorded for Denon and are now available on CD for the first time in nearly 20 years.

These are the only recordings of the Chopin Preludes by Jean-Yves Thibaudet.

SFZ MUSIC, the independent label for His Majestys Sagbutts & Cornetts, are pleased to announce their latest release, a welcome return of the acclaimed partnership of Daniel Grimwood and the 1851 Erard piano. Their previous outing together, a recording of

the complete Années de Pèlerinage by Liszt was met with universal acclaim, having been Editor’s Choice in Gramophone, Telegraph CD of the week and awarded five stars in BBC Music Magazine. For this recording, the piano has been completely reconditioned, giving it greater depth in the bass, clarity in the treble, and evenness across the whole range. The piano is tuned to the Bach-Lehmann temperament, creating new dimensions of tonal character and expressiveness.