Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst (1812–65) was one of the leading musicians of his day, a friend of Berlioz, Chopin, Liszt and Mendelssohn, and for Joseph Joachim ‘the greatest violinist I ever heard’. But the popular encore pieces by which Ernst is remembered today represent only a fraction of his output. This fifth volume – in series of seven presenting all his compositions for the first time – shows his mastery of large- and small-scale forms: the Polonaise de Concert and Variations on the National Anthem are grand and brilliant compositions for the concert hall, while the sparkling operatic miniatures and tender arrangements are altogether more intimate. © Toccata Classics