Wergo’s complete recorded cycle of the G. I. Gurdjieff/Thomas de Hartmann piano music collaborations reaches Volume Three, subtitled Hymns, Prayers, and Rituals. The music is reflective in tone and late-19th century Russian in its harmonic leanings. Its slow moving, chorale-like textures pose no technical challenges to pianists, but it takes a special kind of player to make this music breathe and resonate on both musical and spiritual levels. Charles Ketcham and Laurence Rosenthal, together with Linda Daniel-Spitz, edited all the music for publication, and their interpretations sing forth with simplicity, direction, and loving nuance. The booklet notes don’t indicate who is playing what, but it probably doesn’t matter. This is essential listening for anyone interested in this very specialized repertoire.
