JAN BERAN (b.1959): In Licht zerhaucht for Piano and Orchestra (Southwest German Philharmonic Konstanz; Kevin Griffiths), FANNY MENDELSSOHN (1829-1847): Lied in F Sharp, Op. 6/4, MARIA SZYMANOWSKA-WOLOWSKA (1789-1831): Le murmure, Waltz in A Flat, FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849): Mazurka No. 16 in A Flat, Op. 24/3, Waltz in E, Op. Posth., CARL FILTSCH (1830-1845): Mazurka in E Flat Minor, Op. 3/3, WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791): Adagio for Glass Harmonica, K 356, GIOACHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868): Auf dem Rütli, CÉCILE CHAMINADE (1857-1944): Pièce romantique, Op. 9/1, GERMAINE TAIILEFERRE (1892-1983): Seule dans la forêt, RUTH DÜRRENMATT (b.1951): Valse melancolique, JÜRG LIETHA (b.1952): Bagatelle “Tendresse”.

Description: Beran's intention in writing his piano concerto was "to write a composition that is pleasing to the ear, natural without emptiness though occasionally only experts can fully appreciate but such that also the ignorant are satisfied, without knowing why. ” Don’t be insulted; apparently it’s a quote from Mozart. The work is mostly a modular assemblage of minimalist cells, ‘pleasing to the ear' as these things tend to be, with some 'new spirituality' in the second section. A little mild dissonance and a bit of bitonality is probably for the 'experts', but a whiff of new-age earnestness hangs over much of the work. Still, it is pleasantly diverting in an undemanding way. His solo pieces are similar, somewhere between Glass' early and slightly regrettable 'Solo Piano' album and Einaudi. The Dürrenmatt is Romantic pastiche, and the Lietha, pleasant café music. Patrizio Mazzola (piano).