Oleg Marshev - Emil von Sauer: Etudes de Concert (1998)

Oleg Marshev has recorded several very good CDs of the piano music of Emil von Sauer (1862-1942), thus rescuing this forgotten composer from undeserved obscurity. Sauer was a pupil of Liszt and Nikolai Rubinstein and he became one of the preeminent virtuosos of his day, along with d'Albert and Godowsky. These etudes are incredibly finely crafted dainties, which require a brilliant technique - something Marshev has in abundance. The Etudes de Concert are not works of great profundity or emotional depth, but they explore some of the furthest reaches of Romantic pianism, marshaling countless colours, textures and effects. The style is light and delectable, in the vein of other late 19th-century virtuoso pianist-composers such as Moszkowski, Godowsky, Scharwenka or Balakirev. Overall, this isn't required listening, but it merits a recommendation for pianists, pianophiles and fans of Romantic music.