Rudolf Serkin was born in Eger (now Czech Republic) to Russian immigrants in 1903 - he was to become one of the truly great performers of classical and romantic piano music. Serkin studied with Schönberg and his playing boasted many facets: intellectual depth and clarity as well as a burning passion and challenging, expressive creativity. The recordings made between 1932 and 1959 of works written by Beethoven, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Strauss and Bach form an impressive example of his creative art. Passionate abandon and unconditional dedication also distinguish Serkin's performances of chamber music works - as demonstrated by the recordings of Beethoven's Cello Sonatas made together with Pablo Casals and performances given with his father-in-law, the great violinist Adolf Busch, with whom Rudolf Serkin performed chamber music at the highest level for a good thirty years.