Mikhail Shilyaev Debussy, Ravel, Scriabin & Mompou Piano Works

In a true meeting of musical minds, the two superb pianists team up once again for a delectable programme of miniatures by Fauré, Poulenc, Stravinsky, Debussy and Ravel. A bewitching programme of music often associated with childhood, including favourites by Fauré, Ravel and Debussy; works which amply reward the care lavished on them by Paul Lewis and Steven Osborne in these exquisite accounts.

This venerable recording by the Italian Quartet from 1965 was, for many years, the standard reference copy of both works either individually or as a coupling. One of the considerable virtues of this group of players was that they could always be relied upon to play in tune and to play with musicianship. The competition was not so strong as it is today as many of the alternative groups simply could not deliver accuracy in tuning (or even worse, the notes). This was rarely commented upon in review magazines at the time, a source of complete bemusement for me, but as one who was expected to play in tune I found listening to string chamber music almost beyond bearing for much of the time - except for this group.

Following her acclaimed début recital, Marina Staneva returns with a programme of works by the Spanish-Catalan composer Federico Mompou. The programme opens with Paisajes (Landscapes), written in 1942, 1947, and 1960. The first two pieces are dedicated to the Catalan pianist Carmen Bravo, whom Mompou met after his return from Paris to Barcelona in 1942, and subsequently married.

This year, Uhlig continues his explorations in this new recording of the piano works of Maurice Ravel. Ravel's piano music is perhaps the most concentrated corpus of music ever produced by a major composer. Despite their modest dimensions (the complete oeuvre can be performed in just over 2 hours), each composition sets out to achieve something new, shaping the genre to achieve works of consummate originality. And no one surpasses Florian Uhlig in delivering performances that allow all the fascinating, ecstatic virtuosity of this music to shine.

The piano works of Claude Debussy rank amongst the best-loved and most expressive music ever written. From the atmospheric Suite bergamasque, including the exquisite Clair de lune, to the delightful Children's Corner Suite and the exuberant L'isle joyeuse, this 2-CD set from piano master Roger Woodward was highly acclaimed when first released, and is made available again here.