Severac

Legendary Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire celebrates his 75th birthday with a new album, a delightful collection of personal piano favourites. The new record, ‘Encores’, contains 30 tracks ranging from Purcell to Rachmaninov; Scarlatti to Shostakovich and 12 of Grieg’s Lyric Pieces. It also includes such treasures as the Sgambati Mélodie de Gluck, Paderewski’s Nocturne and Albéniz’s Navarra. An exclusive Decca artist since 2002, Nelson Freire won the 2006 Gramophone Recording of the Year and the Latin Grammy for Best Classical Album in 2013.

During the 1960 Chopin Competition, Belgian pianist Michel Block, managed to win the hearts of the audience. Although he didn't win the competition, Rubinstein awarded him a special prize to reward him as a show of appreciation from him and the audience. Block would tour with the greatest figures and recorded successful albums, at some stage departing from his solo career to teach only to make an eventual return to the stage.

May 23rd: centenary of the great pianist Alicia de Larrocha. Iberia was a favorite of Larrocha, who performed and recorded this absolute summit of Spanish piano music very often. This is the original Hispavox recording of 1962, a feverish rendition full of panache that has rarely been equaled in the discography. It comes with some other hits by Isaac Albéniz.