In March 2019 Beatrice Rana had the New York press in raptures with her Carnegie Hall Chopin. I can see why. Her playing has fire and poetry, imagination and originality, temperament and charm, all on top of fearless technical address: reasons enough for anyone interested in rising young pianistic stars not to have to enquire further.

Occasionally it feels that she has transferred her live, big-hall presence to the studio without too much thought for the change of setting. Several of the Op 25 Studies sound over-pedalled, though they probably would not have done at the back of the balcony, while several of the Scherzos are so polarised between epic power and personal confiding that they very nearly fall apart. Even so, the large-scale repeats in the Scherzos are distinguished by a subtlety of voicing and timing that keeps the attention; and what to some may feel like overblown grandeur in the Études comes at least in part from an attempt to direct the set of 12 towards a mid-point and end-point climax.

Rana’s booklet note is probably more for those looking for insight into her approach than for the Chopin connoisseur. But recording quality is fine, and personal preferences aside, I’m sure I shall be returning to many of these performances with pleasure.