2026 – The Piano Files

Dinu Lipatti’s Legendary Last Recital

by Mark Ainley / CD Liner Notes / Feature / Recordings / 3 Comments / September 16, 2026

These are updated notes from the extended text that I wrote for the Solstice label’s publication of Dinu Lipatti’s legendary last recital (click here for details) – the first time that the original broadcast tape

The Elegant Pianism of Dirk Schäfer

by Mark Ainley / Feature / Recordings / No Comments / September 1, 2026

I continue to be astonished by how many great pianists continue to be off the radar because they recorded so little (if at all) and because these efforts were so seldom reissued, despite their artistic

Public Lecture: Great Pianists of The Past

by Mark Ainley / Recordings / No Comments / July 11, 2026

On April 24, 2026, I gave a presentation at the Vancouver Public Library that was sponsored by two local recital societies, the Vancouver Recital Society and Muzewest Concerts. I have long discussed historical recordings with VRS

Grete Scherzer

by Mark Ainley / Feature / Recordings / No Comments / July 8, 2026

Austrian pianist Grete Scherzer had a short career before she retired from public performance but fortunately she left about two hours of recordings. Although these performances were produced in the 1950s for the Parlophone label

Clara Sansoni

by Mark Ainley / Feature / Recordings / 10 Comments / February 10, 2026

Clara Sansoni with Isaac Albéniz As has been explored in a number of my features on great pianists, not all supreme artists left behind commercial recordings. While a contract to make records was often a sign

Josef Hofmann at 150

by Mark Ainley / Feature / Recordings / No Comments / January 20, 2026

The legendary Polish pianist Josef Hofmann (Józef Kazimierz Hofmann) was born January 20, 1876, making 2026 the 150th anniversary of his birth. Hofmann was one of the most fascinating pianists in recorded history, not only

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