Bert Noglik writes: “The pianist, two days in the studio, alone at the piano. A retreat in Zurich. Focus on the now, the recording is running. Preparation time for the new compositions: about a year. Getting attuned to the music: a lifetime. Alexander von Schlippenbach, Slow Pieces For Aki, the emphasis being on the word “slow,” not on rediscovering slowness but discovering slowness anew - dedicated to his wife Aki Takase. With slow pieces, short pieces, compositions in which every single note demands the highest degree of attention, virtuosity shifts from the purely technical to the actual notes themselves, avoiding all irrelevancies. Sounds that are able to glow in the dark and form themselves into star signs. It is not only Jazz and new Music that appear from far away, but also classical and romantic music, always reflected by the personality, the life and playing experience of Alexander von Schlippenbach. From my subjective point of view, dare I suggest, there is a certain serious lyricism. Slow, full of passion and filled with dedication to the music.”