The Italian composer, Carlo Albanesi, moved to London in 1882 where he successfully balanced a career as a piano soloist with that of professor of piano at the Royal Academy of Music. The majority of Albanesi’s compositional output was for solo piano and his pedagogical publications are still in use by students today. His narrative and lyrical style is apparent in both the Six Romances without Words and the improvisatory Album Leaves, while the antique dances in the Piano Suite show the influence of Grieg. The sonatas are considered the quintessence of Albanesi’s oeuvre, and his last, the Sixth Sonata, contains an entire world of expressive nuance. Acclaimed pianist Julia Severus continues her survey of works by an unjustly forgotten composer pianist who was held in the highest esteem by colleagues, students and audiences alike.

Julia Severus graduated from the Berlin University of Arts and from the Moscow Tchaikovsky Conservatory, where she studied piano with Mikhail Voskresensky and Lev Naumov. Her solo recordings of Rachmaninov’s piano transcriptions (Naxos 8573468), Franck’s early piano works (Naxos 8572901), Tchaikovsky’s opera and song transcriptions (Grand Piano GP795) and Bizet’s complete piano works (Naxos 857083132) have been highly praised. Her search for undiscovered piano literature led her on the trail of the Russian composer and pianist Adolf Barjansky, whose complete works for solo piano she has recorded (Grand Piano GP796 and GP881). Julia Severus lives and works in Paris and Berlin.

Volume 1 of this edition, GP924, was released in January 2023, with the American Record Guide reviewing it with acclaim: ‘Severus’s playing deserves nothing but praise. She plays with a precise touch and cleanly articulated rhythm and phrasing.’