James Rhodes is a fine pianist, a consummate communicator and, as a sufferer himself, a worthy advocate for music as a balm for mental illness. This recording, an accompaniment to his book on depression and anxiety, is a wide-ranging collection of Chopin, Rachmaninoff, Bach and Puccini, with a breathtaking performance of Beethoven’s profoundly beautiful late-period Piano Sonata op. 110 at its heart, a work written by a composer in the depths of despair. Chopin’s melodies ring out under Rhodes’ fingers—a rare gift—and his affecting way with Bach’s C Major Prelude is instantly soothing.
身为一位优秀的钢琴家，James Rhodes 善于通过音乐与人沟通。同时，饱受心灵创伤的他亦积极倡导用音乐作为缓解精神疾病的良药。本张专辑与他关于抑郁和焦虑的著作配套而录制，涵盖从肖邦、拉赫玛尼诺夫、巴赫到普契尼的众多曲目。Rhodes 在诠释核心曲目贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲 OP.110 上更是触动心弦，该作品充满了作曲家晚年期间的深沉情绪。除此之外，肖邦作品的旋律也在 Rhodes 极具天赋的指尖自然地流淌，而他对巴赫 C 大调前奏曲的艺术解读，则让人在不经意间重获久违的安宁。

The most fun part of my job is figuring out what to play live. There's an infinite choice of immense, immortal music and I always try and design concert programs a bit like a setlist for the audience. For this compilation (of my personal recordings from the last six years) I wanted to carry on in that vein and so I've made it a mix tape - these are the pieces that come up in my head unwarranted at 4am to get me through another rotten night of insomnia. These are the ones that always give me hope and a reason to hang on in there - because if music like this can exist then there is simply no question that the good outweighs the bad. They are my inside tracks. (James Rhodes, 2015)