Born at a time when the music world was under the spell of Richard Wagner, Erik Satie was perhaps the first French composer who chose an aesthetic style that shunned the rampant Wagnerism of the day. His piano works – short, hieratic, sometimes disarmingly simple, often bearing ironic and misleading titles – went on to inspire many musicians, not least Claude Debussy, who was Satie’s friend and admirer. This album offers some of the composer’s better-known works, such as the beautiful Trois Gymonopédies and the remarkable Six Gnossiennes, their enduring popularity being perhaps the best testament to Satie’s highly original talent.

A new album from the young pianist Giacomo Scinardo, whose highly successful recent recording of works by Mussorgsky was described by Fanfare as “exuberantly playful”.

“[Giacomo Scinardo] proves an intelligent performer, caring for a personal approach with rhythmic and color peculiarities as well as differentiated moods.” – Pizzicato