The late eighteenth century witnessed an explosion in the number of works written for multiple pianists, most of them for two players using one instrument. The majority were predestined for the domestic market, social gatherings or for pedagogical purposes, but some, including the two works featured on this disc, were intended for performance beyond the salon and ventured into the realms of virtuosity. The genre was to blossom further as a pedagogical tool by which generations of pianists became acquainted with the larger-scale, mainstream repertoire via transcriptions and arrangements of symphonies and other orchestral works, operas and chamber music.

A favourite artist at the internationally-renowned Husum Festival of Piano Rarities in Germany, Steinway Artist Simon Callaghan’s recent sell-out recital drew praise from audience and critics, with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung describing his “cleverly curated recital full of discoveries” (VAN Magazine) as “technically brilliant”. Callaghan’s current repertoire includes over fifty concertos, highlights of the standard solo and chamber works of the 19th and 20th centuries, and much that is rare and unexplored. One cornerstone of Callaghan’s work is his commitment to British music, and he has recently begun a projected series with Lyrita, presenting world premiere recordings of British concertos with Martyn Brabbins and the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.

“Clearly a musician of curiosity and discernment, Callaghan’s robust piano-playing is also thoughtful, subtle and refined.” Gramophone

Adrian Farmer trained as an accompanist at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and first encountered Nimbus Records in 1979, when he was invited to record for them, but quickly made the decision to join the founders as a record producer. Adrian has made several recordings for Nimbus with other artists: Nimbus’s founder the bass Shura Gehrman, tenor Dennis O’Neill in songs by Liszt, pianists Nina Walker in Schubert and Martin Jones at one and two pianos in works by Halffter, Françaix, Reizenstein and Roger Ducasse. In the 1980s he recorded Ravel’s Ma mère l’oye with legendary pianist Vlado Perlemuter, which he describes as a treasured memory. It is with soprano Charlotte de Rothschild that he has found his most enduring and productive partnership. Together they have made several albums of beautiful Japanese songs.