‘In this recording, Chelova takes a strikingly personal and philosophical approach to these pieces: here, she seeks not just to perform, but to reinterpret the very meaning of the étude.’
Category: CD review
24 Preludes for Piano by Nicholas Scott-Burt
Da-Hee Kim piano Premiere recording Listen to the opening measures of the sixth Prelude from Nicholas Scott-Burt’s 24 Preludes for Piano, and you might be forgiven for thinking this is actually by J S Bach, with its combination of rigour and elegance, counterpoint and Baroque flourishes. The ghost of Bach is also present in the…
De Profundis – Charles Owen, piano
Playing of poetry, intelligence and quiet authority in Charles Owen’s new release De Profundis
The Mist on the Moors – the piano music of Reginald Redman
British pianist Duncan Honeybourne continues in his quest to bring lesser-known and rarely performed British piano music to the fore with his latest release – a collection of pieces by Reginald Redman.
Thomas Luke: ‘See Me Now’ – a confident, imaginative debut
‘an impressive debut that leaves one wanting to hear more from this confident and imaginative musician’
Schubert’s Winterreise: Love, Loss, and Hans Zender’s Modern Twist
If anything, Zender’s Winterreise is even bleaker than Schubert’s with its strong Expressionist flavour and rich sonic associations with contemporary repertoire and instrumentation.
Retrospecstive 2025: Adrian Ainsworth’s albums of the year
Putting this list together seems to take me a little longer each January, but I firmly believe that – my ‘winning’ approach to organisation aside – it’s simply because I’m privileged to discover so much more great music every year. Without any further delay, then, here are the (20)25 releases I’m keen to bring to…
‘Opus 109’ – Vikingur Olafsson
Olfasson brings a fresh perspective to well-known repertoire through thoughtful programming, finding intriguing connections and shining a new light on the familiar
Flowers We Are – Kurtág & Couperin
Yehuda Inbar, piano This new album from Israeli pianist Yehuda Inbar, released ahead of György Kurtág’s 100th birthday in February 2026, brings together music written over 200 years apart – a selection of pieces from different Ordres by Couperin and from various books of Játékok (‘Games’) by Kurtág, which juxtaposed and intertwined, reveal unexpected musical…
Small Treasures – Sarah Beth Briggs, piano
In her latest release, British pianist Sarah Beth Briggs celebrates the notion that “small is beautiful” in a selection of piano miniatures, including two of the greatest sets of miniatures ever written – Robert Schumann’s Waldszenen (Forest Scenes) and Brahms’s 4 Klavierstucke op. 119. These are interspersed with less familiar works by Clara Schumann and…
ARTMUSELONDON 