“The 9 preludes for piano are perhaps the first large-scale work in which I managed to find the subtle connections inside musical matter that invite the listener to move inward. Everything in the preludes is aimed at gradual immersion, avoiding the use of external effects. This intimate and dark atmosphere allowed me to become one with myself without the distraction of external factors. This is what I wish for the listeners as well; sometimes the music is so quiet that we start to hear our own breath..” – Maxim Shalygin.