Pianist Vanessa Wagner takes us on a musical journey inland to rivers, deserts and 13th-century Italy, all courtesy of contemporary piano miniatures. In doing so, she hints at ferrying her listeners safely to shore. These are comforting, beautifully crafted interpretations that reveal modern music at its most timeless and intimate. Moondog’s playful “Für Fritz (Chaconne in A Minor)” gently teases while Hans Otte’s hypnotic, lithe “Das Buch der Klänge, Pt. 2” swirls and twists. Michael Nyman’s theme from The Piano wears a neo-Romanticism while Gavin Bryars’ “Ramble on Cortona” forms the album’s spiritual heart—a beguiling meeting of ancient and modern.