Shawn Heller - piano Recorded by Afshin Farzadfar February 12, 2015 Live performance at The University of St. Thomas, Cullen Recital Hall. Houston, Texas, USA For a pianist and the grandson of a famous pianist-composer, Rota wrote relatively little for piano solo. Even so, the gems he did compose for piano are finely crafted. 15 Preludes (1964) deserve to be considered real masterpieces of invention, displaying the perfection of miniatures. In addition to displaying technical mastery, they represent a fascinating voyage through the composer’s mind. They illustrate his very personal poetry, made up of emotion, a subtle irony, spontaneous inspiration and direct communication.