Adolf von Henselt belongs firmly in the realm of 19th-century composer-pianists such as Chopin, Schumann and Liszt. He was influential in establishing a true Russian school of pianism and held in high esteem by Rachmaninov. Henselt’s virtuoso technique was admired for its cantabile qualities but his performing career was cut short by extreme stage fright. Dating from early in his career, the études blend technical demands with clarity of vision and a lyrical poetic expressiveness often reflected in colourful descriptive titles.