1 The Carman’s Whistle ‘Air and Variations’ WILLIAM BYRD (1539/40–1623) [4'21]
2 Now, oh now I needs must part JOHN DOWLAND (1563–1626) [4'28]
3 Hornpipe from Watermusic GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685–1759) [1'42]
4 Handelian Rhapsody CYRIL SCOTT (1879–1970) [6'22]
5 Air and Dance FREDERICK DELIUS (1862–1934) [4'34]

Four Irish Dances SIR CHARLES VILLIERS STANFORD (1852–1924)

6 A March-Jig ‘Maguire’s Kick’ [3'21]
7 A Slow Dance [4'33]
8 The Leprechaun’s Dance [2'52]
9 A Reel [4'08]
10 Beautiful Fresh Flower TRADITIONAL [1'48]
11 Ramble on Love from Der Rosenkavalier RICHARD STRAUSS (1864–1949) [7'08]
12 Cradle Song Op 49 No 4 JOHANNES BRAHMS (1833–1897) [3'41]
13 Apres un reve Op 7 No 1 GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845–1924) [2'56]
14 Nell Op 18 No 1 GABRIEL FAURÉ (1845–1924) [2'33]
15 Paraphrase on Tchaikovsky’s Flower Waltz PYOTR TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893) [6'33]
16 The man I love GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898–1937) [3'45]
17 Love walked in GEORGE GERSHWIN (1898–1937) [3'35]
18 Lullaby STEPHEN FOSTER (1826–1864) [6'20]

Though he professed not to enjoy concert giving, Grainger was one of the greatest pianists of the earlier twentieth century and had an intimate understanding of the capabilities of the piano and how best to write for it. He possessed a unique compositional voice and was, in many ways, part of the great composer–pianist tradition stretching from Liszt to Busoni for whom the concert transcription was an essential part of their art.

This recording contains the majority of Grainger’s concert transcriptions of music by other composers (his few Bach arrangements are performed by Piers Lane on Bach Piano Transcriptions Volume 3). They range from the folk-inspired Irish Dances of Stanford, full of Grainger’s characteristically extrovert piano writing, to the hyper-romantic lushness and incredible pianistic sophistication of his Ramble on Love based on Richard Strauss’s ‘Rosenkavalier’. All are superbly played by Piers Lane.

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dawniej CDA 67279