Masterpieces of Music

Cheng Yu is an internationally renowned pipa and qin virtuoso, and former soloist at the China Central Orchestra of Chinese Music in Beijing. She attained BMus. (Xi’an Conservatory of Music, China), MMus and PhD (SOAS, University of London) degrees in pipa and qin performance and in ethnomusicology. She is the founder of the UK Chinese Music Ensemble (1996), the London Youlan Qin Society (2003) and the Silk String Quartet (2006). Born in Beijing, Cheng Yu studied the Pudong (South China) style of pipa from the age of seven and was later trained in the Pinghu (North-western) style. She also studied the guqin at the Xi’an Conservatory of Music and graduated with distinction in 1987.

Two things propelled the re-emergence of the keyboard double concerto. One of them was the revival of interest in early classical and baroque music. The other was the emergence of the piano duo, those popular and virtuosic two-piano teams that captured a big audience and toured widely. Some of these duos became superstars: Vronsky & Babin, Gold & Fizdale, Whittemore & Lowe, Luboshutz & Nemenoff are still remembered as masters of their trade and it is due to them and others like them that this new piano-and-orchestra repertoire was created. And this is the tradition that Joshua Pierce and Dorothy Jonas have revived and carried forward as the successors to those virtuosic piano duos of another era. It is logical that Pierce & Jonas have recorded – and, in some cases unearthed and revived – these masterpieces of 20th century two-piano-and orchestra repertoire. This 2-CD album containing seven of these works constitute the first volume; there will be six more in the forthcoming 2-CD second volume, making a bakers dozen of works in all, an extraordinary collection of original works for this medium by an extra-ordinary piano duo working in a grand tradition.

2022 collection. This volume in our acclaimed Masterpieces Of Modern Soul series is as strong as ever and drips with brand new, old recordings. An amazing 12 tracks are previously unheard and a further two are very different versions of already popular numbers. Some rare-soul household names have new material featured on here. Ronnie McNeir hits a wicked dance groove with 'Let's Make A Move' and Dee Ervin offers a superbly soulful 'You Make Me Happy' - sure to become a modern classic. We've drifted into the late 70s / early 80s disco sound with numbers found on tape that were just crying out to be heard. Joe Simon cut the unknown group Cynic on 'I Want You' at Spring early in 1982.

A young doctor is tired of being sought by women. One night he meets a young girl who all but forces herself into his room where they talk of morals and love. But he loses her when he goes …

A young doctor is tired of being sought by women. One night he meets a young girl who all but forces herself into his room where they talk of morals and love. But he loses her when he goes …