FERDINAND RIES (1784-1838): Grand Sextet for Piano, String Quartet and Double Bass in C, Op.100, Sextet for Piano, Harp, Clarinet, Horn, Bassoon and Double Bass in G Minor,Op. 142, Piano Trio in C Minor, Op. 143, Introduction and a Russian Dance for Cello and Piano, Op. 113/1.

Description: Sextets featuring piano and harp may be a rarity, but the one included here is a real delight. By the time of the work’s composition in 1814, the genre of the piano-and-harp duo had already been popularized in London over the preceding decades by the well-known husband-and-wife team of Jan Ladislav and Sophia Dussek, who often performed in this combination. It, the Grand Sextet of 1817 and the piano trio - published in 1826 but identifiable as much earlier by its many resemblances to Beethoven - are only otherwise available on CD in cpo releases from 2000 and 2005. The Nash Ensemble.