The Russian-born American pianist-composer Leo Ornstein (1893–2002) lived long enough – an astonishing 109 years – to see his music both fall into and re-emerge from obscurity. Although there have been isolated recordings of Ornstein’s piano music over the years, this series is the first ever attempt to document its major landmarks.

With his earliest surviving work dating from around 1905 and his last from 1990, Ornstein’s music naturally embraces a range of styles, extending on this second CD of his piano music from the Rachmaninov-like Suite Russe (1914) to the brittle but urgent Impressionism of A Morning in the Woods (1971).

The meat of this disc is the extraordinary sequence of seventeen Waltzes Ornstein composed, largely in the 1960s and ’70s, which vary from the sexily languorous to the boldly tempestuous, requiring the fearless virtuosity that Arsentiy Kharitonov brings to them here.

‘the young Russian pianist (recorded in Texas) is more than capable of dealing with Ornstein’s technical demands. Moreover, he interprets the music with total commitment and understanding, and is beautifully recorded. This is a distinguished and fascinating start to what should prove to be an important series of recordings.’ - Fanfare (Vol.1)