Tcherepnin nicknamed the Eight Preludes his "little fleas", referring to their frequent leaps. Both these and the exotic scales of the Arabesques stem from his earlier years in Tiblisi, while the mostly unpublished Twelve Pieces contain evocative scenes of childhood. Opivochki, or the 'Little Leftovers', have Tcherepnin’s final opus number and are among his last works.

Giorgio Koukl is a pianist/harpsichordist and composer based in Lugano, Switzerland. Born in Prague, he studied at the State Music School and Conservatoire before moving to Switzerland and continuing his studies at the Conservatoires of Zürich and Milan. Koukl’s complete recordings of Martinu’s piano music for Naxos have been critically acclaimed as “a delight” (Gramophone) and “estimable and important” (MusicWeb International).

Tcherepnin belonged to the same Parisian group of composers as Martinu, and Koukl’s effortless technique and expertise with this fascinating repertoire make him a perfect advocate for this composer’s remarkable music.