Satie: Valse-Ballet

“Few collections of Satie's music have captured this much misunderstood, multi-faceted composer remotely as well as this marvellous two-disc set from Alexandre Tharaud. His approach is more intelligent than the usual anodyne offerings… Tharaud is able to make the leaps from visionary to flippant, sublimely beautiful to downright silly with ease, but it is his willingness to take risks that really impresses… it is hard to think of a better introduction to Satie's music than this truly enjoyable collection.” BBC Music Magazine

“Few collections of Satie's music have captured this much misunderstood, multi-faceted composer remotely as well as this marvellous two-disc set from Alexandre Tharaud. Tharaud is able to make the leaps from visionary to flippant, sublimely beautiful to downright silly with ease and his willingness to take risks really impresses.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2009 *****

“It's carefully planned and never dull, largely thanks to Tharaud's exquisite keyboard shading.” The Guardian, 6th February 2009 ****

“The popular first Gymnopédie and Gnossienne are here, beautifully played by Tharaud. Real interest lies in the second disc, with a mix of duets for piano with violin, voice, trumpet, plus veteran chanteuse Juliette, in "Chez le docteur", celebrating intestines, liver, kidney and spleen in sardonic chanson. All highly visceral.” The Observer, 1st March 2009

"entertaining and attractive anthology gets better and better as it proceeds. John McCabe has the full measure of Satie's understated melancholy and cool, lyrical nostalgia. ...response of the pianism places this amongst the finest of Satie collections" (Penguin Guide 3 stars)

“It's a pity the Regis transfers of piano music dampen the sound, for Satie needs to be more aggressive than this. John McCabe's playing is appropriately po-faced, the wit and the melancholy just under the surface of these pieces.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2006 ****