Let me say at once that even in a heavily competitive market place this ranks among the most remarkable of Chopin Nocturne recordings. Courting controversy at one level yet burningly sincere at another, Bernard d’Ascoli goes his own heartwarming way unburdened by tradition. From him, the Nocturnes are not a world of sweet dreams but possess a troubled and assertive life. True, simliplicity is hardly his byword (in Nos 1, 6 and 11, his intense rubato often tugs against the music’s natural line) yet such bold and declamatory playing is never less than enlivening, positively forbidding the listener to sink into complacency or repose. An impetuous thrust given to the D flat Nocturne’s long-breathed Italianate lines, and the sudden plunge into darkness at the end of Op 32 No 1, are two among many examples of performances of a living, breathing presence, the reverse of studio-bound.

The two extra posthumous Nocturnes are added for good measure and the ever-popular Op 9 No 2 comes complete with flashing variants authorised by the composer. The recordings are vivid and immediate and the oustanding notes (a provocative side-swipe at Fauré notwithstanding) are by the pianist himself.

Lovers of a personal but more customary Chopin style will turn to Maria João Pires and most of all to the elegant and silken-toned Rubinstein whose inimitable readings are available on Naxos. But, hopefully, d’Ascoli’s most stimulating Chopin series will continue.