Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez belonged to a key group of Brazilian composers including Villa-Lobos, Mignone and Guarneri, who radically transformed the landscape of Brazilian classical music and shaped future generations of composers. Lorenzo Fernandez was essentially a miniaturist, with many of his piano pieces being both richly inventive and short in duration. From the Iberian sonorities of earlier pieces such as the expansive Noturno, via the nationalist flavours of the Suítes brasileiras, to his final piano work, the technically challenging Sonata breve, Lorenzo Fernandez’s refined sophistication and originality can be heard in every piece.

With her unique combination of a colourful Brazilian spirit and profound musicianship, pianist Clélia Iruzun has become one of the most exciting musicians to arrive on the international concert scene in recent years. This recording of works by Oscar Lorenzo Fernandez is her Naxos debut, but her much-admired discography embraces a variety of repertoire.

Her most recent recording, Piano Concertos by Francisco Mignone and Isaac Albéniz with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jac van Steen was hailed by International Piano: ‘Clélia comes into her vivid own, playing with a superb mastery and empathy; it is difficult to imagine it played with greater skill and affection’.