Johann Wilhelm Hässler (1747-1822) is remembered by musicologists for his contest in organ playing with Mozart, but these première recordings show him to be an astonishing enigma whose predilection for composing miniatures reached a pinnacle with the 360 Preludes in All Keys. This remarkable tour de force shows an amazing control of textures and not insignificant humor, its style ranging from C.P.E. Bach’s Empfindsamkeit to prophetic insights anticipating Schumann. The Grande Sonata is a true masterpiece that compares in scope, invention and effect with the best of Haydn’s sonatas.

Vitlaus von Horn was the first (and so far the only) pianist to perform the complete piano solo works of Sergei Prokofiev in concert. Having reached the pinnacle of his career and unable to top this achievement, he took a quarter-century-long sabbatical from piano, interrupted only by world première recordings of the complete works for piano and orchestra by Charles Valentine Alkan on Naxos and of JW Hässler’s monumental cycle 360 Preludes in All Keys. Von Horn’s musical pedigree goes back to Beethoven himself, through Medtner, Leszetycki and Czerny.