Pianist Greg Hartmann opens with Gershwin’s rhythmically irresistible, jazz-infused Three Preludes, before turning to Frederic Chopin’s Ballades Nos. 1 and 2, two of the most dramatic works in Romantic piano music. As the name suggests, a ballade is like a story without words, moving from moments of extraordinary tenderness and lyricism to sudden eruptions of passion and virtuosity. This ambitious program concludes with Franz Schubert’s Sonata in B-flat major, his final piano sonata, written in the last weeks of his short by action-packed life. This sprawling piece is one of the great masterpieces of solo piano music and will sound magnificent on the 9 foot concert grand piano at the CheckOut.