Tchaikovsky’s The Seasons, a suite of 12 piano miniatures – one for each month – was commissioned in 1875 by the editor of the St Petersburg music magazine Nouvellist and published therein throughout the following year. Each piece bears a subtitle and an epitaph by a Russian poet (all reproduced in the booklet accompanying the present release). The most oft-heard pieces today include June (“Barcarolle”) and November (“In the Troika”).

Australian guitar duo Slava and Leonard Grigoryan have always strained against the boundaries of the classical guitar world – witness the brothers’ highly successful forays into world music and jazz. They also perform classical masterworks intended for other instruments. Such was the case with the piano music of Debussy, Falla and Mompou as recorded on their CD Impressions; such is the case here, where they again avail themselves of their father Eduard’s gift for sensitive and imaginative arranging.

Just as Grigoryan senior exploits the full technical and colouristic resources of the classical guitar after the manner of an orchestrator, so too do his sons exploit their considerable musicality and obvious rapport to shine a beautifully muted lamp on these relatively modest works. Thus an expanded tonal palette, more intimate...