From the notes: The two pianists featured in the Flonzaley recordings of piano quintets were amongst the most interesting artists of their time. Both were longtime associates of the quartet, both on and off stage, as well as friends of each other (together they formed a celebrated two-piano team). Harold Bauer [born London, 28 April 1873; died Miami, 12 March 1951) was virtually self-taught as a pianist In his delightful memoirs he wrote of his earliest musical sensations which included a one-man band: "That, to me, was real magic; and I longed unspeakably to grow up and conquer my fear of the sounds, so that I could wield the power they possessed …." It was the opening of Brahms' piano quintet. … [i]Ossip Gabrilowitsch (born St. Petersburg, 7 February 1978; died Detroit, 14 September 1936) was a more orthodox pianist, the supreme keyboard poet of histime. He studied with Anton Rubinstein but also took compositions and theory courses from Navratil, Liadov and Glazunov at the Conservatory in his home city. After winning the Rubinstein Prize in 1894 he had further studies with Leschtizky in Vienna and made his début in Berlin in 1896. He was also a skilled conductor. He was the 'perfect fifth' for the Schumann Piano Quintet, a work which brought out his best qualities. This performance is the secondof two recordings he made with the Flonzaleys… written by Tully Potter