White Book 2 continues on from White Book 1 with the theme of conjuring up places and ideas that are both real and imaginary. The pieces are more self contained than those of the first White Book, and at times clear melodic lines seize the centre stage. There is a greater sense of gravitational tonal organisation, which allows the music to explore areas of emotion that were outside the remit of the earlier pieces. The condensed and crystalline structures of the first book are replaced by something more expansive and far reaching, with an emphasis on sentiment rather than strict thematic organisation.
The complete set was premiered by Mark Tanner at Wigmore Hall in 2008, and soon afterwards recorded on the Priory label. These recordings can be heard here.
