Adam Roberts: Book Of Flowers
New Focus, 2025
9/10
Listen to Adam Roberts: Book Of Flowers
The composer Adam Roberts sees his Book Of Flowers work fleshed out on solo piano by Conrad Tao, who sure knows his way around keys with quite a range and atypical techniques.
“Points Of Departure” starts with the delicate piano and much attention to space, and “Hard Fall” follows with quick fingers and swirling dynamics.
Deeper into the 16 chapters, “Isosceles” offers a meticulous and animated bout of upbeat and rumbling keys, while “Mad Dance” emits a colorful and bouncy demeanor that’s instantly memorable.
Getting closer to the end, “11 Bells For Jon” lands in hypnotic territory that’s even a bit eerie, and “Final Declamation” exits with the cinematic keys radiating tremendous intrigue and mystery.
Nods to Schumann, Chopin, Debussy and Crumb won’t be hard to spot, as Tao utilizes asymmetrical rhythms, many registers and dramatic chords for a very unpredictable and exciting listen.
Travels well with: Andy Kozar- Ein Horn; Eric Moe- WHERE DO YOU SEE YOURSELF IN 5 YEARS