Swiss composer Jürg Frey and Dutch pianist/composer Reinier van Houdt are reunited on this triple CD, 'lieues d'ombres', after their successful collaboration on 'l'air, l'instant - deux pianos' (elsewhere 014), during which the two built a close rapport.
'lieues d'ombres' contains seven of Frey’s solo piano works, written from 1984 – 2018, including one previously unreleased work, ‘Three Piano Pieces’. All seven pieces were recorded by Micha de Kanter at The Muziekcentrum van de Omroep (MCO) in Hilversum over three days in July 2021, with the presence of the composer. The order of the tracks on the three discs was determined by Frey.
As a pianist with a profound affinity with Frey's music, van Houdt masterfully brings out the nuances hidden in Frey’s scores with a delicate, careful touch as light as air, rendering the transparent yet compelling beauty of each piece with an exquisite balance of warmth and clarity.