"Folk music has many qualities which are difficult to find in conventional classical music repertoire: it’s lively, entertaining, easy to listen to, frank, full of rhythm, and it's fun to play. We’ve always been fascinated by the easy–going, playful attitude of popular and jazz music players, however it was nearly impossible for us to find folk music scores suitable for a two piano concert and recording, until we discovered Percy Grainger. Grainger’s gift was to brilliantly combine his classical training and pianistic skills with the love and intuitive understanding of popular music, that we also share!" – Caroline Weichert & Clemens Rave

The essence of Percy Grainger’s music is most evident in his piano pieces. He took ownership of traditional and popular influences, rejecting outdated conventions to create works of ingenious variation, textures and moods. No catalogue of piano repertoire should be without a strong selection of works by Grainger, and this duo/duet programme covers the entire range of his spectacular genius in arranging and re–working popular musical material and making it entirely his own. Grainger’s sparkling talent can be heard throughout, ranging from the fantastically popular Country Gardens to the elaborate Fantasy on ‘Porgy and Bess’.

Award winning pianist Caroline Weichert has been praised for her "strong, crystalline tone" (Spiegel Online) in the music of Erwin Schulhoff (GP604), and Clemens Rave’s playing is consistently praised, including in his ability "to handle sound and expression [with] sensitive awareness" (Generalanzeiger Bonn).

2 MOLLY ON THE SHORE ‘AN IRISH REEL’ (BFMS 19), FOR 2 PIANOS (04:46)

3 SHEPHERD’S HEY (BFMS4), FOR 2 PIANOS (02:21)

4 HARVEST HYMN, FOR PIANO 4–HANDS (02:25)

5 COUNTRY GARDENS (BFMS22), FOR PIANO 4–HANDS (02:24)

6 SONG FROM THE FAROE ISLANDS ‘LET’S DANCE GAY IN GREEN MEADOW’, FOR PIANO 4–HANDS (02:31)

8 AS SALLY SAT A–WEEPING, FOR 2 PIANOS (01:07)

LINCOLNSHIRE POSY (BFMS34), FOR 2 PIANOS (17:02)
9 Lisbon (Dublin Bay) (02:05)
10 Horkstow Grange (The Miser and his Man) (02:26)
11 Rufford Park Poachers (04:28)
12 The Brisk Young Sailor (01:44)
13 Lord Melbourne (03:50)
14 The Lost Lady Found (02:29)

15 FANTASY ON GEORGE GERSHWIN’S PORGY AND BESS, FOR 2 PIANOS (20:59)

CAROLINE WEICHERT
A prize–winner at the Busoni, German Chopin and Schubert competitions, Caroline Weichert’s double victory at the German Musikrat’s "Young Artists’ Concerts" competition, was decisive in launching her career. She appears regularly as a soloist with orchestras and has given numerous recitals and chamber music concerts, showing a particular affinity for lesser known repertoire. Weichert’s recording of Schulhoff Piano Works, released in March 2012 on Grand Piano, received wide critical acclaim, including the prestigious Choc de Classica and Pianiste magazine’s Maestro awards.

CLEMENS RAVE
Clemens Rave studied in Germany and the UK with Gregor Weichert, Vitaly Margulis and Peter Feuchtwanger, and has collaborated with Conrad Hansen and Sergiu Celebidache. Showing a particular interest in contemporary music, Rave has given a number of first performances of works by composers including Hemut Lachenmann, Edison Denisov, Jo Kondo and Luca Lombardi. He has appeared at concerts and festivals throughout Europe and the USA, and has made several recordings.