Airy piano compositions comprise the
entirety of Henning Schmiedt's Wolken, which sees the
German composer move fluidly through several elegant compositions
designed to make your living room that extra bit more welcoming. I
may never pick this album up to listen to it on its own, but it
makes for fantastic, non-intrusive accompaniment to a quiet evening
of reading, writing, or entertaining friends. Sweet melodies become
subtly apparent on touching “Wolke Drei” and pensive “Wolke Acht,”
each composition employing a restful loveliness that seems to
massage the sulci of the listener's brain. Schmiedt's approach to
playing is casual and often playful, transitioning loosely from one
mood to the next, and it is this skilled calmness that renders
Wolken so addictively charming. It's a welcome break from the
noise of the times.
