The piano used here is a Conrad Graf made in Vienna in 1826, and Richard Burnett's programme is at least in part designed to suggest the expressive range of this beautiful instrument. In Hummel's engaging, highly characteristic variations, it is very much on home ground, in that Hummel's talents were closely rooted in the kinds of sound which such an instrument made available. The treble is bright and silvery, the middle register warm and clear, the bass firm but also always lucid and vivid. Burnett's understanding of the instrument and of the exact expressive stature of such a work makes this a delightful performance. Much the same can be said for Czerny's less interesting variations, more controversy lies with Chopin and Schumann.
The Andante spianato sounds charming here, though modern ears will need a moment's adjustment. Schumann's popular suite is, l think, less well suited to the instrument, however strong the historical arguments: Burnett points out that two years after Schumann wrote Kinderszenen, Graf gave one such instrument to Clara on her marriage to the composer. Undeniably it is very interesting to hear the familiar pieces on such an attractive instrument, there is still some loss of the warmth and richness of blend which the music of some of the pieces implies, and also of the sheer power of the later pianos. The instrument includes, incidentally, a cembalo pedal, used here in one of the Schubert dances to give a cheerful buzz. It is also used in ''Furchtenmachen'' from Kinderszenen. The recordings are fresh and true.'