Playtime

Prior to this composer's marriage, several lengthy periods of separation from his beloved amplified the swings between prolific creativity and difficult dry periods which were already part of his intense personality. During a creative upswing, he wrote this set of piano miniatures. Taken as a whole, they depict the games, joys, and sorrows of childhood. Virtuosi beware, however: these aren't flashy showpieces, but are difficult and mature works all the same. The composer himself said that a performer has to "forget [he or she] is a virtuoso in order to perform them"…