Following his acclaimed recording of Scriabin's complete Études, Piers Lane now gives us the complete Préludes. The performances are bold and compelling, matching technical bravura with a rich vein of poetry and colour, communicating Scriabin's vivid and exceptional imagination. Beautifully recorded and superbly annotated by Simon Nicholls, this new double album set is a must for all lovers of Scriabin and the piano.

Scriabin was by natural inclination a miniaturist, and he composed short piano pieces throughout his life. His Préludes—fleeting evocations sometimes less than a page in length—foreshadow the Visions fugitives of Prokofiev and are descendants of the equally compact Préludes of Chopin.

Like a musical Fabergé, Scriabin is capable of creating a glittering world in a tiny space; the exquisite writing reflects the composer's own subtle pianism, which he liked to describe as 'crystalline' and 'perfumed'. The poetic diversity of these miniatures creates a fascinating programme, ranging from volcanic energy and disturbing violence to haunting stillness and atmospheric illusion.