Moscheles: Complete Concert Studies

Piers Lane, piano

Ignaz Moscheles (1794-1870)
Characteristic Studies Op 95 / Deux Études Op 98 / Deux Études Op 105 / Quatre Grandes Études de Concert Op 111 / Grande Étude de Concert Op 126

Given Moscheles contemporary fame it is surprising how much his reputation has faded. He bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic movements and, though a fine pianist and a sincere and skilled craftsman as a composer, his downfall was surely that his transitional idiom was quickly overshadowed by the Titans of the new Romantic movement such as Chopin, Schumann and Liszt. None of this need concern us now--his music has its own worth, as our recordings of his concertos have shown.
Piers Lane does his customary magnificent job in presenting these studies, most of which are premiere recordings.
'Graceful, fluent and engagingly affectionate performances' (Gramophone)
'Piers Lane's concern is to underline the unexpected meatiness of the piano writing, and he offers lusty, swaggering performances ... it's a revelatory recording' (International Piano)
'Il joue ces oeuvres de manière impeccable et soignée, avec un goût exquis, en dosant parfaitement la puissance et le raffinement nécessaires, nous offrant ainsi d'agréables révélations à savourer' (Répertoire, France)
'Lane is the kind of pianist who can make anything sound good. His formidable technique is evident from the opening étude ... it is all the better that this recording is engineered well and we have a fine instrument' (American Record Guide)