Piano works by some of Australia's and China's most outstanding contemporary composers.

Dance tells an eloquent story: it is the physical, visceral celebration of life, from the frenzy of physical abandonment to the caress of a gentle embrace. Music is the pulse that keeps it alive. Composers over the centuries have taken dance forms and metamorphosed them into absolute music, as the supreme abstract expression of art.

Tracks 2, 4, 5, 7 and 10 comprise the program from Chinese Whispers, a performance of contemporary piano solos from Australia and China, and dance duets which tours Australia and China in 2005.

Remaining works are taken from a solo concert Smart gave for the 2003 Melbourne International Festival, the theme of which was the celebration of music and movement. The works of Ludovico Einaudi, Zhu Jian'er, Tan Dun and Michael Nyman are extensions of their ground breaking music for film.

An Offering of Intimacy download

Maracatu download

Ludovico Einaudi (b. 1955)
1 Canzone popolare (Francia, 1500 ca) (from Le Onde) Italy

Zhu Jian'er (b. 1922)
2 An Offering of Intimacy (1955) China

Erik Griswold (b. 1969)
3 Latin Rhythms (for prepared piano) USA/Australia
3 Guaguanco

Qin Yi (b. 1981)
4 Suo (2000) China

Tan Dun (b. 1957)
5 Traces (1992) China/USA

Alvin Curran (b. 1938)
6 'for Cornelius' (1982) USA

Constantine Koukias (b. 1965)
7 Within a 'Prayer at Lamplighting' (piano, digital delay & glass rods) (2000)* Australia

Erik Griswold (b. 1969)
3 Latin Rhythms (for prepared piano) USA/Australia
8 Maracatu
9 Batucada

Jia Daqun (b. 1955)
10 Scherzo (1983) China

Michael Nyman (b. 1944)
11 Tango for Tim (1994) England

Carl Vine (b. 1954)
Five Bagatelles (1994) Australia
12 Darkly
13 Leggiero e legato
14 (untitled)
15 (untitled)
16 Threnody (for all of the innocent victims) Gently

* Commissioned by Gabriella Smart with assistance from the Australia Council for the Arts