Petr Eben

The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart

This composition evolved from an improvisation played by Petr Eben himself on numerous concert tours across Europe. Now the printed version long awaited by many organists has been published. The fourteen pieces are based on themes taken from the book by the same name by the humanist philosopher, educational theorist and theologist Johann Amos Comenius (1592-1670). Eben writes about the piece: 'The pilgrim who wanders through the labyrinth of the world finds nothing here to delight him and turns his heart towards God. What touches me most about Comenius' view is his tireless striving to make the world a better place. The whole atmosphere of the text is not that of an idyllic stroll through the world, but of a satirical, bizarre and sometimes even apocalyptic vision.'