An impressionistic quality permeates Bax's solo piano music. The symphonic tone poems reflect his fascination with Ireland and Celtic lore. While the German Richard Wagner (1813 - 1883) and the Finnish Jean Sibelius (1868 - 1957) may have influenced Bax's orchestral writing, it appears that it is the French style of Claude Debussy (1862 - 1918) and Maurice Ravel (1875 - 1937) that infuses his solo piano music. One can even look to the Russian Alexander Scriabin (1872 - 1915) for a sort of kinship in harmonic treatment. A very fine yet reluctant pianist, Bax was obviously comfortable with the genre. He wrote A Mountain Mood for pianist Harriet Cohen at the beginning of their burgeoning love affair. Cascading chromatic figures evoke a dreamy meditative atmosphere; perhaps a misty early morning trek up the mountain. Later, a subdued restlessness is created by further tonal ambiguity. This is beautifully subtle piano writing that deserves to be heard more often.

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