"Who was Thalberg?" will no doubt be the first question that springs to mind at the sight of this CD. Yet is not a faceless grey figure in music history this recording is dedicated to. Sigismund Thalberg (1812-1871), a real celebrity in his time, was a demigod of music - "a God at the piano" (Schumann) - and perhaps the only pianist whom the world regarded as a worthy rival to Liszt.

Like Chopin and Liszt, Thalberg too, was a great opera fan, and his admiration of the human voice determined his attitude as a performer and a composer. Besides Liszt, Thalberg counted among the most profilic composer of paraphrases, with over 60 pieces, including many for four hands and two pianos.