Ferdinand Ries was a friend and pupil of Beethoven and was praised by Robert Schumann for his 'remarkable originality.' He was also one of the great piano virtuosos of his age and perfectly placed to compose works for his instrument that honor the Classical tradition of Haydn and Mozart while foreshadowing the Romanticism of Schubert and Chopin. In Susan Kagan, an acknowledged authority on the composer, these works have found an interpreter of sympathy and eloquence who brings the composer's fluency, poignancy, and drama fully to life: "Ries could not have asked for a better pianist and proponent than he has found in Susan Kagan." (Fanfare)