REYNALDO HAHN (1874-1947): Le Rossignol éperdu, Notturno alla italiana*, Good-bye, Les Impressions (3 pieces)*, Pièces d'amour (4 pieces)*, Contour mélodique improvisé en voiture ouverte*, Chanson rêveuse de l'héliotrope*, Valse de la libellule en deuil*, L'Inspiration*, Juvénilia*, Au Clair de lune*, D'une prison*, Avant l'Hommage des Poètes*, Pavane d'Angelo*, 4 Portraits de peintres, 10 Premières valses, Sonatine in C, Thème varié sur le nom de Haydn, Bacchante endormie*, La Création du monde*.

Description: Who knew that this song and operetta composer left this much piano music? Not me. And the longest work here - Le Rossignol éperdue, a collection of 53 piano "poems" in four volumes, takes up two whole discs and 144 minutes - isn't even a first recording. Dating from the period 1899-1910, each item has a descriptive title; I'll give you one each in each of the various languages: "Douloureuse rêverie dans un bois de sapin", "Liebe! Liebe!", "Nevermore" and "Per i piccoli canali". Many of the rest are waltzes even if they aren't titled that way (the earliest from a 9-year-old Hahn). Au clair de lune is an 18-minute, 11-part "conte en musique"; the Portraits are "after poems by Proust"; only the lovely and elegant 15-minute Sonatine from 1907 is in a larger form. Beautiful and evocative stuff to dip into a few at a time. * - World Premiere Recordings 4 CDs + DVD documentary. Cristina Ariagno (piano).