This work reveals the astonishing, under-investigated, emotive potential of the viola. Each of the nine movements is brief, from one to three minutes, and all of them have a fleshed-out character. Written between 1987 and 1994, the score resembles Játékok, the piano series/diary by Kurtág that spanned many more years and movements, and for many listeners, Neun Stücke is an excellent primer for the other, larger work. However, the piece stands up for itself brilliantly, simmering with ideas and contrasts that are always welcome, uncovering the different sides of the viola without resorting to technical fireworks. The fifth movement, which is simply entitled Doloroso, is a homage to John Cage, and the rest are dedicated to Hungarians that Kurtág admires. This fifth movement demonstrates the most sophisticated nuances of melancholic longing, without resorting to manipulating, simulated cries of anguish or a self-pitying ambience. Among the many gifts of this composer is an ability to reveal the heartfelt, supercharged musical discretion that was a survival skill of all artists and intellectuals of integrity who lived in the Eastern Bloc when the Soviet Union was intact. Though this set of pieces was written long after that dangerous period, that poised and evocative aesthetic precision remained a fundamental part of Kurtág's artistic voice. This score never blubbers and continually simmers, feeling with a deep and valuable utterance that never strays entirely from his passion for Bartók, but always transcends his love of the older, Hungarian composer so that emulation is not part of the musical process. A continuation from one artist to the next is evident, but Kurtág demonstrates an unblinking relationship to his own world, and carries on the spirit of aesthetic development without looking back. The result is a work such as Neun Stücke, a consummated atmosphere that repeated hearing can never exhaust.

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