The idea behind the thematic programming of this disc is a journey from the earthly to the light, it is about the question of how life and death are connected.

The constant movement and passionate stream-of-consciousness of Nikolay Medtner's music suits Severin von Eckardstein wonderfully, and he it. The difference between his performance of these character pieces/tone poems for piano and that of other pianists is his touch. He is light and graceful enough that feverishly ardent passages do not burrow deeply into a good, indulgent brood and drag the listener along for the ride. Instead, he propels himself through the moodiness, but still fully acknowledges the feelings within the music.

If ever a Fuga Libera release has been eagerly awaited, sure it is this one: a first recording with orchestra for Severin von Eckardstein, the briliant 1st laureate of the Queen Elisabeth of Belgium Music Competition; the first recording of a radiant National Orchestra of Belgium under its new musical director Walter Weller, a musician who brought so much to the recording industry - as well with his mythic string quartet as with the baton in hand.

This second opus represents a return to Korngold’s roots, an attempt to rediscover the innocence and enormous artistic fertility that characterised the young composer. His first quartet and his piano quintet attest to an unbelievable talent and a visionary spirit rooted in the musical ferment of Vienna at the beginning of the twentieth century. Beyond the fatigue one inevitably feels upon finishing a recording, we are suddenly aware of the distance we have travelled. Korngold’s music has transported us these last few years, but it has transformed us, too. This recording is our catharsis, a balm for the difficult years of Covid. Today, we realize just how lucky we are to be able to give concerts, to create encounters with audiences and to touch people through our recordings.