MARBECKS COLLECTABLE: The Maiden's Prayer

None of us can deny that they have fallen prey to the lure of a junk shop or of the chaotic mysteries of an attic, and sometimes purchasers of an old wardrobe or chest of drawers find there a bundle of treasure left behind … well, the spirit of "What have we here?" permeates the adventures captured on this disc. Salon music had its heyday on record in the era of 78s, since the length of a side suited it so well, and for that reason some titles - such as Rubinstein's Melody in F and Paderewski's Minuet in G - may be familiar, but there are 'finds' to be had in any such compilation. This is music on which most aspiring pianists have cut their teeth, giving them as it does both the satisfaction of mastering a complete piece without straining their technique (well, mostly) as well as the backbone of a repertoire that makes for a welcome family evening around the piano; alas for us all that we cannot offer renderings of such sympathetic finesse and lyrical elegance as are here set down by Philip Martin 'at home' and off-duty from his award-winning complete Gottschalk recordings on Hyperion.