Yelena Bekman-Shcherbina (1882-1951) is a connoisseur's pianist whose few recordings are avidly sought by collectors. Here she plays a series of Russian miniatures by a wide variety of 19th century composers. Even in these nicely remastered 1948-50 live recordings, the pianist's color and lyrical sense come through very convincingly. Bekman-Shcherbina was more than a miniaturist, but this delightful program is an excellent way to make her acquaintance, and I believe it's the only sampling of her work that has ever appeared on CD. Not for the general listener, perhaps, but highly recommended to Romanticists and pianophiles. --Leslie Gerber