Shortly before his death, Lawrence K Moss (1927-2022) had the good fortune to learn that a number of his works were being preserved for posterity by Navona Records. The release, ‘Unseen Paths’, provides a glimpse into the art of an American composer and teacher who explored myriad musical styles in a wealth of genres, here comprising chamber and solo piano music and two one-act comic operas.

There are surprises and delights en route, as well as frustration, mainly because this digital-only release has no programme notes to provide any context regarding Moss’s aesthetic or the music itself, not even dates of composition. So it takes a bit of googling to glean (very little) information about the pieces, which appear to span six decades. The creation that can be somewhat researched is the opera The Brute, from 1960, which Moss composed to a libretto by Eric Bentley based on Anton Chekhov’s 1888 play The Bear.

While The Brute is faithful to its source in terms of characters and situations, the score is rooted in the modernism of its period. The writing for the three voices and piano (chamber ensemble in the original incarnation) is angular and happy to avoid tonal centres. Moss sets the English text with an ear towards clarity, and he has an unerring sense of dramatic (comedic) pacing. The work, which had its European premiere in 1970 at the Margravial Opera House in Bayreuth is a stark contrast to the other opera, a giddy, Classical-tinged version of La serva padrona that sounds like an affectionate variation on Pergolesi’s 1733 intermezzo. The performers give both operas lively and polished attention.

Five instrumental pieces, most of them succinct, are presented, including String Quartet No 5: all of a minute or so of compelling music. A Life finds an intrepid pianist (the vibrant Kadisha Onalbayeva) traversing 12 movements of haunting and colourful substance, complete with subtle percussion effects. It is a prime example of a curious composer keen to explore as many musical paths as possible.