Satie: L'Oeuvre Pour Piano

Pianist Aldo Ciccolini garnered lots of attention in the late 1960s and early 1970s when he recorded all of Erik Satie's original piano music for EMI. The cycle remains first choice for Satie fans, who certainly will welcome its first complete (as opposed to excerpted) reissue on CD. Ciccolini's interpretations are paradigms of expressive economy and directness, and happily eschew the "let's see how slow and important I can make these works" attitude that sometimes prevails among younger Satie practitioners. Ciccolini's diamond-edged sonority, sparkling technique, and willingness to accept the composer's high quirk quotient at face value further enhance these performances. While Ciccolini admirably overdubs himself in the piano duet works, one misses the added color and ensemble give and take gained from Ciccolini's digital remakes partnered by Gabriel Tacchino. For the price, though, Satie fans can hardly go wrong. Don't let EMI's French-only annotations prevent you from acquiring this classic cycle. Get it while you can. --Jed Distler