British pianist Benjamin Grosvenor has been a regular in these pages for many years now. Electrifying the classical music community in 2011 with his first foray into Liszt’s repertoire, we now now have a satisfyingly substantial album devoted to the composer.

The album features the Piano Sonata in B Minor, S. 178, but also has something for the opera lovers with ‘Réminiscences de Norma’ from Bellini’s opera. The sweet and contemplative Berceuse is at the centre of the album and made me realise something about why I love Grosvenor’s playing: it’s not just his phrasing and technical command, but his use of silences between notes that is truly delightful. Grosvenor lets the sound hang in the air, allowing the piano itself to take centre stage with its sonorous tone rather than distracting listeners with fast fingers or showmanship. The quote that immediately came to mind for me was from Aldous Huxley’s essay, ‘Music at Night’: ‘After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.’

Here, Grosvenor uses both silence and music to speak to your heart. This is the true mark of a musical master.

Kate Rockstrom is a friend of Readings.