This collection of 12 pieces by Eric Craven maps out a journey from the known to the unknown, from the familiar to the experimental, from the directly linear to the serpentine twists and turns embodied in new discovery. At the end of the journey only the essentials are manifested; conventional melody and harmony, dynamics, articulation and phrasing distil into pure, refined pitch and, at this point, the music is completely stripped down, enabling notes to float freely.

Craven’s compositional method bucks the trend for works where the tiniest nuance of every performance gesture is written into the score, producing incredible complexity and huge challenges for the performer. Set for Piano challenges performers in different ways, eventually drawing them right into the note to note procedure and inviting them to contribute to the form.

A sought-after interpreter of new music, Mary Dullea’s expansive repertoire covers the standard piano literature as well as an ever-increasing amount of 20th- and 21st- century compositions, many of which are dedicated to her, through extensive commissions and premieres, also notably with The Fidelio Trio.

Mary is the Director of Performance at The University of Sheffield and is also on the teaching staff of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama.