OLLI MUSTONEN: THE COMPLETE RCA RECORDINGS (4 CDS)

Finnish pianist-composer Olli Mustonen’s recordings of Preludes and Fugues by Bach and Shostakovich were released in 1999 and 2004. “Perhaps only an artist as innovative and convincing as Mustonen could have made it work as well as it does,” wrote BBC Music Magazine of the first volume. Of the second, Gramophone wrote that “one cannot deny either the brilliance or imagination of his playing”. Mustonen boldly alternates between the composers’ works: Andrew McGregor wrote for the BBC that “it becomes harder to hear where Bach ends and Shostakovich begins, and less important to separate them … I recommend it without hesitation or reservation.” Mustonen’s 1998 recording of Beethoven’s Diabelli Variations “contains moments of absolutely spellbinding playing, with textures of wonderful clarity and a deeply imaginative approach to the music,” said BBC Music Magazine of an interpretation still considered iconoclastic today. It is reissued here along with a second disc of Beethoven featuring works including the E major sonata op. 109.

Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 1 in C major, BWV846
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 5 in D major, BWV850
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 6 in D minor, BWV851
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 7 in E flat major, BWV852
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 11 in F major, BWV856
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 12 in F minor, BWV857
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 13 in F sharp major, BWV858
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 17, BWV862
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 18, BWV863
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 19 in A major, BWV864
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 23 in B major, BWV868
Bach, J S: Prelude & Fugue Book 1 No. 24, BWV869
Bach, J S: Prelude No. 7 in E flat major, BWV852
Beethoven: Allegretto in C minor Hess 69
Beethoven: Allegretto in C minor,WoO 53
Beethoven: Bagatelle in C major, WoO 54, 'Lustig-Traurig'
Beethoven: Bagatelle in C minor, WoO52
Beethoven: Diabelli Variations, Op. 120
Beethoven: National Airs (10) with variations, Op. 107
Beethoven: Piano Piece in C major 'Lustig, traurig' WoO 54
Beethoven: Piano Sonata No. 30 in E major, Op. 109
Beethoven: Prelude and Fugue fragment for string quintet in D minor, H40 (1817, incomplete)
Beethoven: String quintet movement in C major
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 2 in A minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 3 in G major
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 4 in E minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 8 in F sharp minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 9 in E major
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 10 in C sharp minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 14 in E flat minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 15 in D flat major
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 16 in B flat minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 20 in C minor
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 21 in B flat major
Shostakovich: Prelude & Fugue for piano, Op. 87 No. 22 in G minor