Johann Baptist Cramer’s formidable reputation as a pianist of sensitivity and singing tone at the keyboard is transferred into his Études, the musical interest in these pieces including echoes of Bach and Scarlatti. This made them favourites with Beethoven and Schumann in their day, their influence resonating through pianistic history. Perhaps even more than Clementi’s contemporaneous Gradus ad Parnassum, Cramer’s Études established a keyboard style and tradition which can be traced through to Chopin, Busoni and beyond.

This recording of essential piano repertoire brings together a strong trio of pianists, including Gianluca Luisi, whose Liszt recording for Naxos stunned Fanfare by being filled “with so much joy, as well as so much musical integrity”. The artists on this recording of the complete Etudes bring us historically significant and musically satisfying repertoire which is virtually unknown on recordings.

Gianluca Luisi has won many national and international piano competitions, including the Casella International Competition in Italy, and first prize at the Fourth J S Bach International Piano Competition in Saarbrücken. He has performed in leading international music festivals and appeared in some of the world’s greatest concert venues, including the Carnegie Hall, New York, and the Musikverein, Vienna. Mr Luisi has been featured on a number of recordings.

Hailed by critics as one of the most accomplished and charismatic musicians of his generation, Alessandro Deljavan – a Cliburn semi-finalist – won the first John Giordano Jury Discretionary Award. He recorded his first CD at the age of 15 for the Stradivarius label, and while still a teenager took top prizes at several national and international competitions. He has performed extensively at piano and music festivals around the world, both as a recitalist and with chamber music ensembles, including the Takács Quartet, the Sine Nomine Quartet and the Orchestra Sinfonica Verdi.

Giampaolo Stuani was awarded first prize at the Scottish International Piano Competition, International Alfredo Casella Piano Competition, International Rina Sala Gallo Piano Competition in Monza, the International V. Bellini Piano Competition at Caltanissetta and the National A. Speranza Piano Competition, Taranto. He also won major prizes in the Busoni, Ciani, Pozzoli, Viotti, Bachauer, Kapell, Cleveland, Pretoria, Hamamatsu and Epinal International Piano Competitions. He has given numerous recitals in Italy and abroad, and appeared as a soloist with major orchestras. He has recorded for the Dynamic, Olympia, OnClassical, Azzurra music and Fontec labels.