Celebrated pianist Håkon Austbø has received many international awards for his work in the area of contemporary music. ‘Wanted’ is his second solo recording for Aurora, and features major works by three great musical figures of the latter half of the 20th and start of the 21st centuries, Pierre Boulez, Elliott Carter, and Asbjørn Schaathun.

The third Piano Sonata represents a key moment in the development of Pierre Boulez’ music. In this piece which dates back to 1957, the composer for the first time takes fully on board the ideas of John Cage about principles of chance in music. Night Fantasies was also a turning point in Elliott Carter’s work. In this single movement piece Carter builds up the musical journey with contrasting episodes, whilst he himself makes the choice of route through the labyrinth. Asbjørn Schaathun’s “Physis” was crucial in the establishment of his musical style as he started to combine the stochastic approach of Xenakis with the serial procedures of Stockhausen. The seven “Areas” in the piece provide a fixed framework, each area consisting of a larger section, played without electronics, followed by smaller ones using electronics. The smaller sections are always interchangeable, with the performer choosing the order.

Norwegian pianist Håkon Austbø is internationally known for his work in contemporary music. Having lived and worked out of the Netherlands for more than 30 years, Austbø has recently returned to his home country. His numerous recordings, among them the complete piano works of Messiaen, have received many awards. His previous recording for Aurora featured the music of Valen, Egge, Mortenssen, and Wallin (ACD5060).