Ludus Tonalis were created during Paul Hindemith's stay in Yale (USA), when his avant-garde period was already over; back then, he was leaning towards Neo-Baroque aesthetics. The piece directly refers to Johann Sebastian Bach's Das Wohltemperierte Klavier, while the tradition of Baroque polyphony is combined with the 20th-century style and the composer's individual musical language. In turn, the cycles share the strict approach to the form of fugue, while the way of shaping the preludes/interludes (which take various forms) is free - in Hindemith's case, apart from preludes, toccatas and fantasies, there are also such forms as siciliana, foxtrot, march or waltz. The piece is unique in terms of piano music, intriguing and inspiring performers since its inception.
It also inspired Agnieszka Panasiuk, a graduate of the London Royal Academy of Music, finalist of the Delius Prize competition.
In her interpretation, one can clearly hear Bach inspirations, and the album is complemented by a bonus - the Sarabande from the French Suite, as a reference point.
