A hike through challenging terrain; sounds reminiscent of shades of light, smells, and tastes; alchemical elements in various states of matter; fragmented utterances of language and their musical resonance, or even a (seemingly) abstract number - the chamber music works on this CD album encompass a wide range of allusions and associations, typical of the work of Johannes Maria Staud.

The composer, who was born in Innsbruck in 1974 and is now a professor at the Mozarteum University Salzburg, by no means limits himself to diverse ideas drawn from a wide variety of literature. The visual arts and geometry also serve as sources of inspiration, as do cinematic works and theories from different branches of science, such as semiotics (the study of signs and symbols), botany, and mathematics. In general, numerical ratios often play a more or less hidden role at different levels in his works; however, they do not have to be consciously understood in order to have an impact.

The works brought together here, encompassing a period of over twenty years, reveal both a continuous development and a distinctive style - in addition to a striking maturity found even in the earliest compositions. Staud's scores are full of precise performing instructions. They sometimes also include theatrical elements and detailed, often very descriptive (and unconventional) expressive markings. From the very beginning, Staud has had a wide range of sonic possibilities at his disposal, and he is capable of employing both striking effects and fine nuances. He sometimes deliberately seeks the grand gesture, but this is then always offset by subtle procedures.