This reissue on Celestial Harmonies is a rare find, having been carefully restored for CD release by all available state-of-the-art technical means. In 1975, there had never been a recording made of the complete cycle outside of what was then the Soviet Union. Woodward's version thus has the historic importance of being the first-ever complete recording outside the USSR; it is an unusually secure performance for a pianist of only 32 years of age at the time of the recording.