Rubbra was an excellent pianist, and his output for the instrument spans pretty much his entire career. It's the earliest work here, the Sonatina of 1928-9, that proves by far the most technically demanding. Whereas the raptly lyrical first two movements have something of the outdoor tang of Vaughan Williams and Howells, the finale seems to stand apart, its timeless, intuitive spirit and bracing contrapuntal mastery the hallmarks of Rubbra's mature voice.
Other stand-out items include the noble Introduction,Aria and Fugue, the pithy Four Studies of 1970-71 and the Eight Preludes, Rubbra's most substantial piano offering, completed in 1966.
The latter comprise a hugely rewarding sequence, the organic wholeness of Rubbra's luminous inspiration often calling to mind his masterly Eighth Symphony. Suffice it to say, Michael Dussek acquits himself extremely well throughout, and he has been sympathetically recorded.