Kalevi Aho composed Three Small Piano Pieces in 1971, at the same time as his Third Symphony. The composer's original intention was to write a set of ten piano études, each based on a specific harmony or pianistic technique. Only three pieces were completed, however, as Aho became absorbed in the composition of the symphony. The first of the three pieces is the longest: a rich and impressively sonorous Maestoso. The second piece is a four-part chorale. The third piece presents a rumbling texture...