For almost five decades, Franz Liszt wrote music that incorporated Hungarian elements and celebrated his country’s musical idioms. One of the most famous of these pieces was the Rákóczi March, two different versions of which can be heard in this album, the first in full sonata form, and the second in a more concise version. Liszt often utilised the verbunkos tradition as he does in Magyar dallok along with infectious dulcimer evocations, folk scales, drama and melancholy. Two contrasting versions of the Hungarian Rhapsody no.6 – Magyar tempo and Célèbre mélodie hongroise – round out this evocative Hungarian selection.

Christopher Williams’s recording of Mendelssohn Piano Rarities album was released on 8574509 in November 2023: ‘[Williams] certainly makes the most of this otherwise ignored repertoire. He is well suited to handling the music’s difficulties, of which there are many, and most of all seems to have fun doing so’ (Fanfare).

His recording of Brahms transcriptions for the Grand Piano label (GP749) was featured as album of the week on NDR Kultur. ‘These arrangements are engaging and virtuosic, and I imagine that you would have had to be a more than competent pianist to do the music justice… Christopher Williams gives an excellent performance of both works’ (MusicWeb International).