Stephen Hough (b.1961), celebrated primarily as a pianist, began composing at age six and has steadily built an impressive body of music. Was mit den Tränen geschieht (2007/08) is a trio for piccolo, contrabassoon and piano — its wide registral gap between outer instruments giving it an otherworldly character — performed by Michael Hasel, Marion Reinhard and Hough. Un Piccolo Sonatina (2007) is a three-movement work for solo piccolo. Bridgewater (2008), subtitled 'Romantic idyll', is for bassoon and piano. The Herbstlieder (2007) set five Rilke texts for baritone (Jacques Imbrailo) and piano. The Piano Sonata 'broken branches' (2010) closes with an introspective multi-movement work whose markings — desolato, fragile, piangendo — signal its emotional landscape.