‘Some of the finest operatic arias ever written’ is Stephen Hough’s brilliant characterization of the Nocturnes, one which holds the key to his intensely lyrical interpretations of these most perfect of bel canto masterworks.

As Stephen Hough writes in the fascinating performance note which accompanies these remarkable recordings, some of the Chopin Nocturnes are masterpieces 'as great as anything written in the nineteenth century.' As such—and like all great art—they transcend considerations of time and place: Félix Vallotton's Moonlight may date from 1894 (nearly half a century after Chopin's death), but seems wholly appropriate for our cover design, the shades of burnished gold illuminating a painting which complements Chopin's complex, shifting evocations of the night.

Vallotton (1865-1925) could also be said to be an honorary Frenchman in much the same way as Chopin; born abroad, both men made their base in Paris for most of their artistic lives. Apropos a major exhibition of Vallotton's work held at the Royal Academy in 2019, the publicity material noted that he is relatively obscure in the UK, certainly by comparison with his contemporaries Bonnard and Vuillard. Did he spread his talent too thinly? Although best known as a painter and (notably) a printmaker, his output includes sculpture, photography and set design. He even wrote three novels and eight plays. For most of his life he kept a notebook in which he listed his paintings, drawings, sculptures and prints: by the time of his death it ran to no fewer than one thousand seven hundred works.

'A master of narrative suspense' was the Royal Academy's verdict. And might not the same also be said of Chopin in these exquisite miniatures, especially as realized by the probing musicianship of Stephen Hough?