HANS VON BÜLOW (1830-1894): Ballade, Op. 11, Carnevale di Milano - Ballabili e Intermezzi, Op. 21, La certa - Impromptu, Op. 27, Marche héroïque d'après des motifs hongrois populaires, Op. 3.

Description: As a brilliant pianist and devotée of Liszt and Wagner, you'd expect the early (1854) Ballad to be influenced by the latter pair and it surely is. From 1871, Carnevale is a ten-piece suite of dances inspired by the ballerina Elvira Salvioni and it showcases the breadth and variety of his keyboard writing (and Liszt thought him as fine a composer as a pianist), his humor (not obvious as a conductor as history tells us) and ability to write delicate, finely wrought pieces as well as being able to produce Lisztian thunder. Mark Anderson (piano).