An odd little collection of works by Pousseur, spanning some 46 years, in a range of styles and approaches. Though associated with the Darmstadt school, he was always something of a renegade, refusing to restrict himself to this or that musical philosophy and this set, for better or worse, gives some indication of that tendency. A fairly extensive and enjoyable interview is included in the accompanying booklet.

"Prospection" (1953) is written for three pianos, each tuned a sixth-tone apart but is otherwise a rigorously serial work. The retuning imparts a welcome otherworldliness into what might well have been an arid piece otherwise, lending a drifting, almost dreamlike quality. In 1975, Pousseur asked cellist Rohan de Saram to perform a microtonally based piece for solo cello, "Racine Dix-Neuvi�me de Huit-Quarts". Though the tuning system is relatively unusual even if in practice it recalls earlier work by Penderecki, de Saram brings to the piece a surprising romanticism and melancholy air while also obliquely referring to Indian and other Asian music with sarangi-like glissandi. It's quite a beautiful performance even as its character might come as something of a surprise to listeners only aware of Pousseur's more severe work.

Yet another oddity, though a very pleasant one, is his "At Moonlight, Dowland's Shadow Passes Along Ginkaku-Ji", scored for shamisen (Sumila Gotay), koto (Mikoto Jakahata) and shakuhachi (Shuzan Morita). Pousseur composed it using a 12-tone system that was roughly aligned to a traditional Japanese mode, thus attempting to merge the two cultures (he claims an Elizabethan element as well, though this listener can't perceive it). The result cleaves fairly closely to the East; aside from a tasty dissonance here and there, one would be hard pressed to guess its Western origins, no mean feat in an area that, when explored by non-Asians, has a strong tendency to drift into mere exotica. "Ex Dei in Machinam Memoria", for oboe and live electronics (1989) is yet another strange bird. It begins with an awkward dance between the two principles, the oboe plaintive, the electronics vapidly echoing. Little by little, however, things drift into surprising territory, including what seems to be a direct reference to Terry Riley's soprano saxophone and organ psychedelia of the late 60s. Textures grow progressively rougher and more complex; by the end of the 20 minute work, we've covered a large and impressive range, far more rewardingly than one would have guessed from the first several minutes. It's a lumpy beast, but it shambles along with some power. The final, relatively brief work, "Figures Enlac�es" (1999) is performed by the composer himself on a manualiter organ, a restored 17th century device sans foot pedals. It's loopy and shrill but insanely colorful, with occasional calliope overtones. Fun to visualize the 70-year old composer going to town here.