During Herbert Henck's preparation for the recording of Arnold Schönberg's piano works for WERGO, he constantly came upon references to Josef Matthias Hauer and his argument with Schönberg over prior discovery of the 12-tone technique. What he found was different from anything else composed at that time. In the literature of the period dealing with Hauer, recognition and critical appreciation like the following were more the exception than the rule. The Viennese philosopher, Ferdinand Ebner, wrote in his memoirs about Hauer’s "Nachklangstudien": "This study, if played properly, should just be breathed over the strings, you must forget that the piano has a hammer mechanism. Wondracek called it the 'Smile of God'.
The Hölderlin pieces op. 25 are recorded and released on CD for the first time.
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