Frank Rothkamm

Part two of the epic, numerology-inspired Tetralogy series, Zahra Fugues is Rothkamm's first all-acoustic release since his Chamber Ensemble, which dates back to 1984. These 26 individual pieces, all in the fugue form, are the results of the composer's experiments with the Steinway Model M grand piano that resides in Zahra's apartment in Manhattan. Rothkamm demonstrates that he knows his way around a piano, crafting his counterpoint-fuelled missives as effortlessly as most people walk down the street. His inspired pieces stretch the limits of the fugue, combining the classical form with a modern panache that transcends structure. A pianist's wet dream, Zahra Fugues is by all means gorgeous, and not at all weighed down by the intellectual nature of the theory that surrounds it.