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The beginning of Csapo's Straight Labyrinth is actually rather similar to the repetitive music of the 70s or 80s. But what is built up from these apparently simple cell-motifs is very far from that era, or any era in music history. Not only does our perception of space become an unusual experience in this music, but meditating on the strange transformations of the larger waves built up from smaller cells, for the listener time itself becomes timelessness.This work, and also the quite different Szollossy piece, rhymes interestingly with the Beethoven works and their intimations of agelessness. Similarly to the last Beethoven sonatas, Paessaggio con morti is also brimming with archaic elements, particularly the chorale, which recurs several times before finally broadening out, and lingers on in our ears and memory. In many respects the sound and treatment of the piano recalls 19th century composers, primarily Liszt, for whom the painting of a landscape often coincided with a transcendent mode of expression. Yet at one important juncture in the work, preparing for the climax before the recapitulation, Szollossy proceeds very similarly to Beethoven in his use of trills. But Szollossy's most important models are Bachian Baroque structures, which naturally he doesn't quote directly, but rather transplants the borrowed material into his own characteristic idiom. The music isn't eclectic: its strong, unique structure and sound-world knit together the various elements into a uniform mass. (Gabor Csalog) Over his career, Gabor Csalog has developed deep relationships with several Hungarian composers, especially with Kurtag, with whom he has maintained a life-long working relationship. He has premiered works by Kurtag and Ligeti in Budapest. He was also in close personal contact with Andras Szollosy and Gyula Csapo, often rehearsing with them the works on this CD. Gabor Csalog is well known for his unique programmes, which couple old and new music in a distinctive way.

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Two Beethoven sonatas coupled with shorter pieces by a pair of contemporary Hungarian composers makes for an engaging mixture. Gabór Csalog's disc feels very much like a single live performance, though the individual items were taped at separate recitals. Beethoven's momumental late sonatas draw on many influences, from naïve folksong to baroque counterpoint. András Szöllösy's Paesaggio con morti also fuses multiple elements, a sober chorale theme restated between music of dizzying energy and colour, variously solemn, radiant and disarmingly jazzy. Straight Labyrinth by Gyula Csapó Gábor begins with spare, minimalist fragments, building to a fiendishly complex climax. Csalog's sheer charisma makes both pieces compelling.

     —Graham Rickson, theartsdesk.com