Barber: Piano Sonata Op.26 and other solo piano music

Though one of the most highly regarded American composers of this century, a number of works still await publication, including nine for piano. The present disc contains all of the published works, and amount to just seven scores. The earliest are the Three Sketches (1923-24). They are light salon pieces in a very romantic genre, the first piece is called Love Song, a short nostalgic waltz dedicated to Barber's mother. The second piece, To My Steinway, is a sweet waltz-like adagio written in honour of his prized childhood instrument. The last piece, Minuet, is of infinite charm and based on Beethoven's Minuet No.2. Chronologically, the next work is the Interlude No.1, composed in 1931, its brooding atmosphere now moving a long way from those early cameos.