Skafte / Olsson - 24 Preludes For Piano (CD)

The fascination of the Swedish composer Martin Skafte (b. 1980) with the 24 Préludes of Claude Debussy inspired 24 preludes from Skafte himself, with occasional oblique references to Debussy's originals but using Skafte's own musical language. Like Debussy, Skafte exploits the colors and sonorities of the piano but also he requires Lisztian virtuosity and pulls in a range of further influences, among them ragtime and Ligeti - and a sly sense of humor can often be detected in the background.