A native of Brazil, Nelson Freire stands alongside Daniel Barenboim and Martha Argerich in a triumvirate of the most important South American pianists of their generation; they maintained the friendship they established during their student days in Vienna and subsequently often performed together. Freire was born in Boa Esperanca in 1944 and recorded his first album of works by Frederic Chopin at the age of twelve. The composer remained one of the loves of his life. These recordings were made over a period of some three decades. Freire’s playing always has something dazzling about it – not in the sense of an artificial sparkle, but of being free and unconstrained.