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Jean-Efflam Bavouzet’s vivid and personal interpretations of Debussy’s complete works for piano are available for the first time in an attractive five-volume set, this is the series that put Bavouzet on the map, and established him firmly as a leading and internationally acclaimed pianist.

Written between 1909 and 1913, Préludes are probably Claude Debussy's most important work for piano. It consists in a series of 24 short pieces, equally subdivided into two books.Unlike Chopin's, Bach's and many other composer's homonymous series, these pieces aren't sorted by key signature. Debussy gave a title to all of the 24 preludes and decided to place them at the end of each piece. This choice is mainly addressed to the performer to encourage him to find his own interpretation but it also points out that it's the music here that will suggest the titles and not vice versa. Being certainly the peak of maturity in Debussy's musical experience, these pieces also carry the youthful energy of the author's early pieces. This combination of both aspects of Debussy's personal style gives this music an unique feature: here, music and dramaturgy express and support each other mutually, letting each idea unfold and develop achieving a brilliant balance between its strong inspiration sources and Debussy's consumate mastery of composing. Such quality is rarely to find in the repertoire of concert music, making Préludes a milestone for musicians of all sorts.

In this recording, Jan Michiels takes us back to the Parisian salons of the 19th century by means of preludes by Chopin and Debussy. However, he also opens his salon to various visitors from later times with works by György Ligeti and György Kurtág. A kind of communication of souls allows the listener new insights into the long-lasting influence of the two composers.

Eight years on from the release of his compelling debut album Sun, Cloud, Luke Howard has now established himself as one of the most important and exciting musicians in contemporary classical music. The composer has been at the forefront of opening up piano music to a new generation, while challenging the notion of what can be achieved in the form. New album All Of Us is not only an exquisite portrait of isolation, loss, resistance and reconciliation in both stark and rich shades of piano, orchestra and electronics, but the theme of quarantine provides a framework for the record. Throughout the album, Howard shifts between subtle permutations of shifting sound, etched with his trademark intimacy and restraint, and applied with a palate both minimalist and expansive; to his own piano, celeste and synthesiser, the Budapest Art Orchestra (conducted by Peter Pejtsik) plays strings, guests added flugelhorn, viola, contrabass and modular synth whilst fellow post-classicist Ben Lukas Boysen provides additional programming, production and mixing on ‘Critical Spirit’ and ‘The Opening Of The Gates’.

Vestards Šimkus begann mit fünf Jahren Klavier an der Musikschule Emīls Dārziņš in Riga zu lernen.