I believe a short introduction to the composer is in order here. Born in Amsterdam, Jaap Nico Hamburger has lived in Canada since August 2000. He studied piano with Youri Egorov amongst others, and graduated from the Royal Sweelinck Conservatorium of Music, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, with a soloist degree in piano. He is the current Composer in Residence with Mécénat Musica in Montréal, Canadian Music Centre Associate Composer, and a former Director of City Opera Vancouver.

His writing, in this work anyway, is very atmospheric and infiltrates your mind in a rather surreptitious fashion. There's a touch of schizophrenia to the music as it moves forward through the use of dissimilar personalities. For example, the slow build-up that opens the first movement is full of Gustav Mahler overtones (notice the horns), but suddenly at the halfway point of this rather short movement, the piano steps in but is overwhelmed by violent and cacophonous outbursts from the orchestra, only to regress to its former atmospheric state. Now the hyperactive second movement on the other hand, sounds like a genetic mutation between Sergei Prokofiev and Galina Ustvolskaya, with a hint of Edgar Varèse (notice the sirens). In contrast to the two Adagio movements that bookend it, this middle movement is highly active and boisterous, and applies technical and expressive pressure on the pianist, all of which is handled with aplomb by Assaff Weisman. The final and longest movement at just over nine minutes, with its anfractuous melodic line from start to finish, is where the music leaves an impression that lingers long after audition.

At first glance this review may seem negative, but only in the sense that this work's individual parts don't always jive with each other. But after repeated auditions, it seems the overall picture wouldn't be complete without these puzzle pieces, and the whole is more than the sum of its parts. It's a rather short disc at just over 22 minutes but you will notice that the price reflects this. Those of you looking to hear something new that isn't completely out in left field should appreciate the music of Jaap Nico Hamburger.