Jānis Mediņš (1890-1966) was one of the pioneers of Latvian music: his works include the first Latvian opera, and he was also an important conductor and teacher.

His 24 Dainas for piano (he took the title from Latvian folk-poetry) show the influence of Rachmaninov, Grieg and Scriabin and have a modal colour inherited from Latvian folk-music.

Although their composition was spread over four decades, interrupted by the Second World War and Mediņš’s exile in Sweden, the Dainas are unified by their passionate lyricism and epic sweep.

This is the first complete recording of the Dainas on CD.

Jonathan Powell has an international reputation as one of the most fearless pianists on the planet, regularly performing composers - not least Sorabji - before whom others quake. He has worked with many leading contemporary composers, such as Ambrosini, Dillon, Ferneyhough and Staud, and is also a composer in his own right.

Powell is a self-taught composer - he has recorded several of his own works for BBC broadcasts and has received performances by the London Sinfonietta, the Arditti Quartet, Valdine Anderson, Sarah Leonard, Darragh Morgan and Nicolas Hodges, among others.