Welcome to G. Henle Publishers, dear Maestro Kissin! We are honored and proud to be able to publish the first three opuses by world-renowned, inspired pianist Evgeny Kissin, who for some years now has turned to composing in earnest. The first of these compositions – which, with this author, ought to surprise no one – is a cycle of four piano pieces. The “Toccata,” an insanely virtuosic tour de force in a jazz-inspired idiom, has already occasionally been heard performed as an encore at his concerts. With their titles, “Meditation” and “Dodecaphonic Tango” perfectly illustrate the respective moods of these expressive character pieces. The unpretentious “Intermezzo” grants performer and audience a brief moment of contemplation before the “Toccata.”