The Vier Romantische Klaviertücke (Four Romantic Piano Pieces) were composed at separate times between 1979 and 1991. They may be performed individually or as a "suite." At one time Ford considered the possibility of grouping them together as a single sonatina, but chose instead to apply that title only to the first piece.
The title of "Sehnsucht" ("Longing") might have been suggested by Joseph von Eichendorff's poem of the same name, but Ford's interpretation of the subject is decidedly different from that of the German poet. Here, a wider range of moods is evoked--wistful longing, bitter frustration, gentle yearning and ultimate fulfillment.