The 16 compositions are in fact the novel result of a dynamic process of mutual inspiration between the composer and a publishing-house staff member, initiated by their shared pleasure in punning on the English names of flowers. In captivating music pieces Luis Zett conveys the wordplay of titles evolving during the fun, such as “Busy Lizzy & Lazy Daisy” or “Jolly Holly.” When taking the volume in hand, be prepared to transform the piano miraculously into a blossoming garden!

Preface
To Petra Kamlot

If it weren’t for her inspiration, this book wouldn’t have come into being – she provided most of the ideas, and I liked her blooming wit.

How it came about: At the end of October 2013 I had submitted to Breitkopf & Härtel a manuscript that appealed to them; but, until a final decision could be made I would just have to be patient awhile …

As I had previously exchanged some nice, friendly, and humorous emails with Ms. Kamlot from the Editorial Department – we used to chat about the weather in Wiesbaden and the Lake Constance region where I live –, I contacted her again in February; I whined about the tedious “waiting blues,” that if I didn’t have anything to do, sheer boredom might make me go out to the garden to count snowdrops. Her response came swiftly: “Why don’t you turn the “waiting blues” into a composition? Something like Snowdrop Blues or Counting Snowdrops?” So I wrote Countless Snowdrops and sent it to Wiesbaden. Full of genuine enthusiasm came the next two proposals: Daffodils and Wall Flowers; I avidly set to work. And then our flower-growing really got going: Petra (meanwhile we were on first-name basis) suggested at least one title a week, and I enthusiastically kept composing.

What was special for both of us was always linking the flowers to something funny (Busy Lizzy & Lazy Daisy) or worrying (like the blackout rests in A Song for – whom?) or cultural (Morning Glory and Morning Mood by Edvard Grieg). That’s what we enjoyed most.

I hope that everyone delving into this book will share this joy with us. Have lots of fun turning your piano into a blooming garden.
Luis Zett, Fall 2016