Piano Anna Rose Carter

The concert season of the Ruhr Piano Festival 2020 has suffered heavily under the Corona pandemic shutdown – loosing more than 85% of all scheduled concerts. In the late June/July days some concerts had taken place, some were live recorded; some concert also had taken place in the early autumn 2020, before the entire new planning was cancelled as well for all 2020, like for so many other concerts and festivals. At least the few live recordings are showing an interesting picture of a list of unknown piano works of Beethoven. It is therefore for sure a rich source for collectors and connaisseurs.

The album Star Of Spring by Anna Greta is a captivating musical journey that showcases the artist's exceptional talent and unique style. Released by Act, this album features a collection of beautifully crafted songs that blend elements of jazz, folk, and pop.

Edward Gregson is best known for his dazzling orchestral works and music for brass and wind bands, but this recording of his complete piano works to date reminds us of his equally impressive catalogue of works for soloists and chamber ensembles. Gregson shows us a more intimate side in his piano music. From the Lullaby composed while a student, to the Tippett-inspired Piano Sonata, we are charmed, moved and thrilled in equal measure by this programme of his complete music for solo piano. This recording marks the debut of distinguished pianist Murray McLachlan on Naxos.

Born in Sussex in 1877, Roger Quilter was a fellow-student of Percy Grainger, Cyril Scott, and H. Balfour Gardiner at the Hoch Conservatory, in Frankfurt, where he studied for almost five years under the guidance of the German professor of composition Iwan Knorr. He is best known for his contribution to English art song, having composed around 150 songs, many of which remain regular recital favourites. For this album, the tenor James Gilchrist and pianist Anna Tilbrook explore his output from early works such as ‘Now sleeps the crimson petal’ through to late examples such as ‘The Ash Grove’. All of the songs are settings of English texts, with the exception of the Four Songs of Mirza Schaffy, which set German texts by Friedrich von Bodenstedt. The musicians have arranged their selection of twenty-seven songs into thematic groups – Shakespeare songs, songs about flowers, folksongs, songs of love etc. – which makes for a fascinating and rewarding programme.

On her debut album, the Icelandic pianist and singer Anna Gréta, who lives in Sweden, enchants with subtle songs, her nuanced voice and expressive piano playing between jazz, indie and folk. A remarkable new player in the "Nordic Sound".

The Piano Trio in B-flat major, Op. 97, by Ludwig van Beethoven is a piano trio completed in 1811. It is commonly referred to as the Archduke Trio, because it was dedicated to Archduke Rudolph of Austria, the youngest of twelve children of Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor. Rudolf was an amateur pianist and a patron, friend, and composition student of Beethoven. Beethoven dedicated about a dozen compositions to him. The Archduke Trio was written late in Beethoven's so-called "middle period". He sketched out the draft for it in the summer of 1810 and completed the composition in March 1811. It follows the traditional four movement structure with sonata form in the first and rondo sonata form in the last movement. It also allows for a more prominent part for the piano than previous compositions.