During his own lifetime, Niels Viggo Bentzon (1919-2000) became the very symbol of modern music in Denmark. An unstoppable creative force which, right from his breakthrough in the early 1940s, was in a category of his own. Per Salo, the pre-eminent Danish interpreter of Bentzon, here turns to Bentzon’s huge-scale piano cycle The Tempered Piano, with a personal compilation of preludes and fugues from the many volumes that Bentzon wrote with direct inspiration from Bach. Riotous digressions, musical worlds of unbridled fantasy, loosely constructed blowholes – everywhere Bentzon broke new ground – ground far from the golden mean.

Danish composer Niels Viggo Bentzon composed 13 volumes in his series of The Tempered Piano between 1964 and 1996. From these, Per Salo has combined his own personal cycle of preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys, recorded on this album.

Per Salo (b. 1962) is very active both as a soloist and as a chamber musician. His repertoire includes many Danish and contemporary works and many Danish composers have written music for him. In Denmark Salo has received many awards and prizes – including The Artist Prize of the Danish Music Critics. Since 1989 Per Salo has been holding a position as pianist and organist in the Danish National Symphony Orchestra.

The booklet contains liner notes by Jens Cornelius as well as Per Salo’s personal story about his relationship to Niels Viggo Bentzon, as a friend, teacher, and inspirational adviser.