As both composer and teacher, Heino Eller (1887–1970) was one of the founders of the classical tradition in his native Estonia. Yet his copious output for piano – some 200 works – is largely unknown, an omission this series of eight CDs seeks to redress.

This fourth volume presents Eller’s First Sonata, a Romantic work of gigantic proportions, composed for his final exam at the Petrograd Conservatory. It also features a number of miniatures, including one of his most popular pieces, Butterfly, and ends with the sage but passionate Ballade in C sharp minor from 1955.

The previous volume in this series won a ‘Choice’ award in International Piano.

Sten Lassmann, an Estonian pianist based in London, studied these works with Eller’s most important piano student, giving him a direct link to the composer’s wishes.