Although piano music occupies a side position in Rautavaara's vast output, his works for this instrument throw an interesting light on his stylistic evolution. If the Icons and the Partita from the mid-1950s stick to a bold neo-classical writing, the Preludes from the same period resort to a more personal atonal idiom, peppered with harsh dissonances and nervous rhythms. Written in 1969, the kaleidoscopic Etudes, each one based on a different interval, look back a good 50 years, precisely to Debussy's unapproachable set of Etudes, and perhaps to Messiaen--not absurdly, as the latter is another highly religious composer, akin to Rautavaara's own personal feeling. The two Piano Sonatas bring the spiritual inspiration a step further. Subtitled respectively "Christus und die Fischer" and "The Fire Sermon", they combine rich harmonies and motoric rides with almost figurative patterns. Despite the late composition date (1970), the Second Sonata brings out a strong romantic feeling, culminating in the dramatic Andante assai. Laura Mikkola possesses the technical skills required by this demanding music, as well as an ear sensitive to the subtlest harmonic aura. The recording is a bit over-resonant, but truthful to the piano timbre.

--Luca Sabbatini