From very early on, Mozart was aware of the possibilities of an ensemble situated halfway between concerto and chamber music. Indeed, it was Mozart who paved the way for the piano quartet in 1785 and 1786 with the two masterpieces that are presented here. Such an instrumental ensemble was unknown before this, but from that point onwards it would live on throughout the 19th century through the key works of Schumann and Brahms, then of Dvořák and several other famous musicians. The Quintet in G minor, K. 478, is bold right from the opening few bars, in a passionate key that Mozart used in famous works such as Symphonies Nos. 25 and 40 as well as his fabulous String Quintet, K. 516 from 1787. The powerful first movement, the lyricism of his Andante and his joyful final Rondo in G major have captivated chamber musicians from around the world for centuries. Its counterpart, the Quarter in E-flat major, K. 493, displays the carefree nature of youth but still shows a sense of maturity with darkness and nostalgia.

“I’ve just listened to the entire recording of the Ros Tapestry Suite”, she said, “without looking at the booklet. And one of the pieces that stood out to me was “Midday” by Gerald Barry. I started thinking about creating a programme based around different times of the day.”

One of Ireland’s most successful musicians, pianist Finghin Collins was born in Dublin in 1977 and studied piano at the Geneva Conservatoire with Dominique Merlet. Winner of the RTÉ Musician of the Future Competition in 1994, he went on to take first prize at the Clara Haskil International Piano Competition in Switzerland in 1999. Since then he has continued to enjoy a flourishing international career that takes him all over the world. Collins has performed with such orchestras as the Chicago and Houston Symphony Orchestras, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Budapest Festival Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra, BBC Symphony and BBC Philharmonic Orchestras, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, garnering consistent praise from critics and public alike. Chamber music plays a significant role in his musical life. In 2013 he completed his three-year tenure as Associate Artist of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra in Dublin, completing a cycle of the complete Mozart and Beethoven piano concertos. Over the past two decades Collins has developed a close relationship with Claves Records, recording two double albums of Schumann’s piano music in 2006 and 2009 which won numerous awards including Gramophone’s Editor’s Choice. The current Chopin recording is a judicious medley of famous – a Prélude, the Fourth Ballade, the Polonaise-fantaisie – and more confidential works among which a handful of Mazurkas and Nocturnes.