Piano Music 1

As composer, pianist and educationalist, the Prussian Philipp Scharwenka (1847-1917) was one of most highly respected musicians of his day, although his star faded soon after his death. His music - more conservative and classical in orientation than that of his pianist-composer brother, Xaver - sits somewhere between Chopin and Brahms, with echoes of Schubert and Schumann. This first installment of a survey of his piano music is intended to put these immediately attractive works before the public once again - for the first time in over a century. They are played here by the Portuguese pianist-composer Luís Pipa, professor of piano and chamber music at the University of Minho, near Porto, following up on his well-received Toccata Classics album of music by his compatriot José Vianna da Motta.