'A wonderful piece, but very difficult - only a few will be able to master it ů''. Since this pronouncement by Nicolai Rubinstein, who nonetheless premiered it with bravura, the work has unjustly been stuck with the label of ''unplayable''. The wild, almost demonic character of this ''oriental fantasy'' has certainly contributed to this reputation: through the use of Caucasian and Armenian folk idioms Balakirev calls forth a keyboard firework that aroused the admiration even of the Titan Liszt. Our edition provides today's pianists with a musical text that is not only reliable and accurate, but also clear and well-organised.?