Divine Art
Palimpsest
$18.99
Details
- Composer
- Frederic Chopin, Michael Finnissy, Rob Hao, Alison Kay, Franz Schubert
- Artist
- Rob Hao
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Divine Art
- Released
- Nov 14, 2025
- Catalog #
- DDX21140
- UPC
- 809730114021
About
Australian pianist Rob Hao makes a striking debut with an album that explores how music from different times and styles can interact and inspire new ideas. At the heart of the recording is the premiere of Palimpsest 571, Hao's original work completing Franz Schubert's unfinished Piano Sonata in F-sharp minor, D. 571. Rather than trying to imitate Schubert's style exactly, Hao embraces the gap between past and present, creating a continuation that respects the mood and mystery of the original fragment while adding a fresh, modern voice. The album also features a set of piano etudes by British composer Alison Kay, whose minimalist and atmospheric pieces invite listeners to experience sound and silence in new ways. Alongside these contemporary works are carefully chosen pieces by Chopin, Schubert, Schubert-Liszt, and Michael Finnissy's challenging English country-tunes. Chopin's final nocturnes showcase his gift for blending long, flowing melodies with delicate harmonies, revealing the emotional depth he reached late in life. Schubert's impromptu and Liszt's piano transcription of Der Muller und der Bach bring vocal storytelling to the piano, highlighting the instrument's expressive power. Finnissy's English country-tunes is a powerful and intense piece that explores English folk traditions with virtuosic energy, moving between moments of lyricism and dramatic intensity. This mix of works demonstrates how composers and performers continue to build on musical traditions, layering new ideas over old, and keeping classical music vibrant and alive. This album offers a rich listening experience that invites reflection on how music evolves -shaped by both history and the creative present.
Tracklist 11 tracks
-
1 Piano Sonata No. 8 in F-Sharp Minor, D. 571 08:18
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Piano Sonata No. 8 in F-Sharp Minor, D. 571
- Duration
- 08:18
- Composer
- Franz Schubert
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
2 Palimpsest 571 03:24
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Palimpsest 571
- Duration
- 03:24
- Composer
- Rob Hao
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
3 Nocturne No. 17 in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1 08:46
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Nocturne No. 17 in B Major, Op. 62, No. 1
- Duration
- 08:46
- Composer
- Frédéric Chopin
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
4 Nocturne No. 18 in E Major, Op. 62, No. 2 08:19
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Nocturne No. 18 in E Major, Op. 62, No. 2
- Duration
- 08:19
- Composer
- Frédéric Chopin
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
5 X. Orison II 02:54
- Track
- 5
- Title
- X. Orison II
- Duration
- 02:54
- Composer
- Alison Kay
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
6 XI. Lullaby for Isabelle 02:06
- Track
- 6
- Title
- XI. Lullaby for Isabelle
- Duration
- 02:06
- Composer
- Alison Kay
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
7 4 Impromptus, Op. 142, D. 935: No. 2 in A-Flat Major 08:24
- Track
- 7
- Title
- 4 Impromptus, Op. 142, D. 935: No. 2 in A-Flat Major
- Duration
- 08:24
- Composer
- Franz Schubert
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
8 Schubert - Müllerlieder, S565/R249: No. 2. Der Müller und der Bach 06:26
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Schubert - Müllerlieder, S565/R249: No. 2. Der Müller und der Bach
- Duration
- 06:26
- Composer
- Franz Liszt
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
9 No. 2. Midsummer morn 05:30
- Track
- 9
- Title
- No. 2. Midsummer morn
- Duration
- 05:30
- Composer
- Michael Finnissy
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
10 No. 7. My Bonny Boy 06:17
- Track
- 10
- Title
- No. 7. My Bonny Boy
- Duration
- 06:17
- Composer
- Michael Finnissy
- Performer
- Rob Hao
-
11 No. 8. Come beat the drums and sound the fifes 03:59
- Track
- 11
- Title
- No. 8. Come beat the drums and sound the fifes
- Duration
- 03:59
- Composer
- Michael Finnissy
- Performer
- Rob Hao