These are seriously demanding pieces, yet Hammond delivers them with a smooth and mellif luous touch, capturing the music’s twilit subtleties and silken textures as if it ’s second nature. While the music does not have quite the glitter, extreme contrasts or wild imagination of Chopin’s etudes, it draws you in and exerts a fascinating magnetism.

It would be hard to imagine more fluent or thoughtful readings of this repertoire. Despite the challenges, everything emerges smoothly and cleanly, with graceful response to the shape of the phrases; and Hammond captures the music’s reserve to perfection. If you’re at all interested in the development of piano playing or keyboard repertoire, this should be a high priority.

Nimbly executed, sensitively phrased and beautifully recorded (Wyastone Concert Hall), Clare Hammond has left all pianophiles in her debt...An early contender for next year’s Gramophone Awards.

This is beautiful music, wonderfully recorded... Her brilliant performances are clearly the result of deep reflection.

This is outstanding music at any price, and should be in any pianist’s repertoire... The prolific Clare Hammond, who also wrote the excellent booklet notes, has made this truly a pet project... This disc will doubtless contribute to a real breakthrough for her reputation.

Hammond describes Montgeroult as ‘one of the most exploratory pianistic personalities of our time', and on the basis of this stylistically wide-ranging selection of 29 études (composed between 1788 and 1812) it's difficult to disagree with her assessment: much of the music here sounds as if it was written in the mid-nineteenth century, with distinct foreshadowings of Schumann, Liszt and particularly mature Chopin playing out in harmonic language as well as the keyboard writing itself.

Montgeroult encapsulates the musical journey from classical to romantic, her artistic compass firmly pointing forward.

A wonderful collection of unfamiliar music, full of agreeable surprises, and with some true gems to uncover.