I have launched a new YouTube channel which can be found here. The channel includes my lockdown recordings as well as other, mostly rare, piano works from my recorded catalogue.

Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951): Sonate-elegie (Sonata no. 3) (07:09)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021

Artwork: Alexej Kondratjewitsch Sawrassow (1830-97) – Winter (1870)

Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951): from Forgotten Melodies book 1, op. 38 (1920)

1. Sonata reminiscenza (Sonata no. 10) (17:38)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021

Artwork: Ivan Constantinovich Aivazovsky (1817-1900) – Little Russian Ox-Cart in Winter (1866)

Nikolai Medtner (1880-1951): from Forgotten Melodies book 2, op. 39 (1920)

4. Canzona matinata (00:15)
5. Sonata tragica (Sonata no. 11) (05:10)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021

Artwork: Ivan Bilibin (1876-1942) – Kostchei the Deathless (1900)

Franz Schubert (1797-1828) – Allegretto in C minor, D.915 (05:54)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021.

Artwork: Edvard Munch (1863-1944) – Autumn in the forest (1880)

Johannes Brahms (1833-97) – Variations and Fugue on a theme by Handel, op. 24 (1861) (30:30)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021.

Artwork: Thomas Cole (1801-48) – The Voyage of Life: Youth (1842)

Johannes Brahms (1833-97) Sonata for piano and violin no. 2 in A major, op. 100 “Meistersinger” (1886), transcribed for solo piano by Paul Klengel (1854-1935)

1. Allegro amabile (00:15)
2. Andante tranquillo – Vivace (09:35)
3. Allegretto grazioso, quasi Andante (17:26)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021. This is the first recording of this transcription.

Artwork: Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841-1919) – By the Water (1880)

Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)

1. Barcarolle no. 2 in G major, op. 41 (00:15)
2. Barcarolle no. 3 in G flat major, op. 42 (06:44)
3. Nocturne no. 3 in A flat major, op. 33 no. 3 (15:52)
4. Barcarolle no. 5 in F sharp minor, op. 66 (21:30)
5. Nocturne no. 6 in D flat major, op. 63 (28:08)
6. Barcarolle no. 4 in A flat major, op. 44 (38:53)
7. Barcarolle no. 6 in E flat major, op. 70 (43:14)
8. Barcarolle no. 8 in D flat major, op. 96 (47:19)

John Kersey, piano
Live recordings: tracks 1-6 – All Hallows by the Tower, London, May 2014, tracks 7&8, Chingford Parish Church, May 2015.

Artwork: Francis Picabia – Effet de soleil couchant sur l’étang de Berre – Martigues (1908)

This recording presents a selection of Fauré’s Barcarolles and Nocturnes taken from live performances in London during 2014-15.

As a supplement to this main selection, I have included a further live and unedited performance of Barcarolles 3, 4 and 5. This is taken from a private concert given in 2014. In contrast to the performances above, which used vintage pianos by Blüthner (tracks 1-6) and Bechstein (tracks 7-8), these performances were given on a modern Steinway, giving access to a very different colouristic palette.

1. Barcarolle no. 3 in G flat major, op. 42 (00:15)
2. Barcarolle no. 4 in A flat major, op. 44 (09:31)
3. Barcarolle no. 5 in F sharp minor, op. 66 (13:45)

John Kersey, piano

Live, unedited recordings made in May 2014.

Artwork: Georges Seurat (1859-91) – Landscape at Saint-Ouen (1879-80)

The recordings below were made during the national lockdown of 2021.

1. Nocturne no. 4 in E flat major, op. 36 (00:15)
2. Barcarolle no. 1 in A minor, op. 26 (06:56)
3. Barcarolle no. 7 in D minor, op. 90 (12:41)
4. Barcarolle no. 9 in A minor, op. 101 (16:36)
5. Barcarolle no. 10 in A minor, op. 104 no. 2 (21:40)

John Kersey, piano

Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021

Artwork: George Frederick Watts (1817-1904) – Study of Clouds

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Piano Sonata in B flat major, D960 (1828)

1. Molto moderato (00:15)
2. Andante sostenuto (26:00)
3. Scherzo. Allegro vivace con delicatezza (38:50)
4. Allegro, ma non troppo (43:13)

John Kersey, piano
Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021.

Artwork: August Cappelen (1827-52) – Waterfall in lower Telemark (1852)

Franz Schubert (1797-1828): Piano Sonata in A major, D959 (1828)

1. Allegro (00:15)
2: Andantino (18:46)
​3: Scherzo, Allegro vivace (28:54)
4: Rondo, Allegretto (34:35)

John Kersey, piano
Recorded at home during the national lockdown of 2021.

Artwork: Nikolai Astrup (1880-1928) – Apple trees in bloom