Raff piano music vol.1

[DennisS]

I too would like to say how wonderful the new CD is. Tra Nguyen is a superb pianist and her playing is indeed, as has been stated, powerful and poetic. She interprets all 3 pieces with great artistry, wonderfully powerful and dynamic one moment and then sublimely delicate the next. Listening to this CD, the 76 minutes duration seems to fly by all too quickly. Metamorphosen is indeed a marvelous work and the other two pieces Frühlingsboten and Fantaisie are superb in their own way also. All Raff admirers will love this CD. A must-buy in my opinion!(and not just for Raff admirers!)
cheers
Dennis

[Jonathan]

Jonathan, the CD was initially pressed with the tracks in the wrong order and these pressings were withdrawn and replaced before despatch to retailers. It looks as if the copy you have is one of the wrongly pressed ones, though. I am assured by Naxos that they will replace any such copies. My advice is to email Grand Piano /  Naxos customer service and ask for a replacement. If you have any problems with that then email me privately, please.

Thanks Mark - I've emailed them and will let you know what happens (serves me right for using preorder...)

[Peter1953]

I can only second all the enthusiastic comments on this wonderful CD. As usual I am puzzled by the fact that Raff wasn't such a virtuoso on the piano, but several of these delightful pieces show some real pyrotechnics. A real winner. Also my compliments for the interesting and informative booklet notes, Mark!

And Jonathan, you have a possible collectors item! If it was a postage stamp with an error your future could be that of a very wealthy man...

[Jonathan]

Too late Peter1953, I sent it back this afternoon!  Oh well, so much for retiring early 

[Gareth Vaughan]

I have at last found time to listen to this splendid CD - and I can honestly say that I have nothing but unqualified praise for every aspect of it: playing (quite masterly and completely in sympathy with the composer - or so it seems; what a sensitive pianist Tra is!), recording (very warm and truthful), presentation (simple and stylish), booklet notes (a model of their kind - clear and informative). Brilliant! 5 stars all round.
You deserve to be proud and very pleased, Mark.

[Mark Thomas]

I blush with pleasure. Thanks very much for everyone's plaudits.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Incidentally, I forgot to say that the Metamorphosen is a major work IMHO, which repays repeated hearings - Raff at his very best.

[Mark Thomas]

This is true - it's certainly a major piece but wait until you hear the Variations on an Original Theme which has centre-stage on volume 2! Coincidentally, I have just this afternoon received the first mix of volume 3 - the Album Lyrique is as varied, clever and downright attractive as volume 1's Harbingers of Spring, whilst the Cinq Eclogues are just meltingly gorgeous. But you'll have to wait about ten months for that CD I'm afraid.

[Gareth Vaughan]

Oh plangent anticipation! The glimmering shaft of cosmic esperance that steers my voyage through the atrabilious tempests which I must endure until the epiphany of its release! - as Chiam Farschele might have written. I shall just say: "I look forward to hearing both disks very much." It's awfully easy to write inflated drivel, isn't it?

[JimL]

Atrabilious?  Is that a word?

[Gareth Vaughan]

Certainly is, Jim. Look it up.

[Mark Thomas]

The CD is the Album of the Week in UK's Independent daily newspaper today.

[Mark Thomas]

I understand that this release is consistently the highest seller of the Grand Piano releases so far, which is great news.

[Gareth Vaughan]

And jolly well deserved too.

[TerraEpon]

I too love this CD. And was pleasantly surprised that the disc sounds better than I thought it would based on the video and the sound samples.