FLORENT SCHMITT (1870-1958): Complete Original Works for Piano Duet and Duo, Vol. 2 - Sur cinq notes, Op. 34, Reflets d'Allemagne, Op. 28, 8 Courtes pièces, Op. 41.

Description: Two of these suites of short pieces are based on the technique Schmitt experimented with beginning in 1906 - basing a movement on the first five pitches of a diatonic scale; the rest of the work was his ingenuity in disguising this self-imposed limitation. Op. 34's title tells you this is one of them, the full title of Op. 41 (1907-08) is "... to prepare the student for modern music" but these "8 Short Pieces" don't get any more modern than neo-Classicism and some are far more backward looking than that. The eight pieces of 1905's Reflets are inspired by seven German cities and Vienna; the work was turned into a ballet by Schmitt in 1932, which tells you all you need to know about its listenability. Invencia Piano Duo.