The virtues of Leon McCawley's Chopin playing are impressive, which will come as no surprise to those who know his earlier recordings. These beautifully recorded performances are characterised by a refined musical intelligence, cultivated taste and lack of exaggeration.

McCawley, an English pianist with a rising profile, offers a self-effacing introduction to Chopin...He is best in the Three Ecossaises Op.72 and the Impromptus Op.29, 36 and 51, where he captures the music’s salon-like elegance without sentimentalising it or showing off.

...performances which veer away from the glamour and opulence of the concert hall, almost as if given before a late-night audience of carefully chosen friends. His inwardness and reserve pay rich dividends in the C sharp minor Nocturne's coda...And in the companion Nocturne in D flat, his translucent tone is particularly apt.

His playing is never projected but conveyed in the tones of a private conversation. Textures are translucent and pliant. Above all, McCawley always mantains focus on the life of the phrase, which lends his playing that natural cantabile one expects from the finest singers...Warmly recommended.