Eric Satie
Solo Piano & Chamber Works
Alexandre Tharaud, piano, et al
Harmonia Mundi
Whether it’s the characterful simplicity of Alexandre Tharaud’s readings of the Gnossiennes or his light, witty touch in Le Piccadilly, the Valse-ballet, Les pantins dansent, or the Petit Ouverture à danser, it’s all delightful. But it’s the intelligence of this program, the thoughtfulness that went into making it, that gives the best indication of how splendid the performances must be.
The first disc consists of solo piano works, both the very familiar and some comparative rarities, programmed for maximum contrast and variety. The second disc contains duets for piano with, respectively, another pianist, cabaret singer, tenor, violin and trumpet (La Statue retrouvée). The programing allows for maximum variety, even in these often very brief pieces. As with the first disc, specific piano works (those for four hands in this case: Three Pieces in the Form of a Pear, La Belle Excentrique, and Cinéma) frame the other selections, creating a program rich in variety, ideal for continuous listening.
The fact that Satie’s music, with its wacky titles and lack of pretension, often isn’t “serious” doesn’t mean that it shouldn’t be taken seriously. As a composer his range may be limited, but he’s not lacking in content, and most Satie recitals either collect all the most popular stuff or take a “library” approach and simply play everything in chronological or some other sequence that pays scant attention to why one piece should musically follow another. In assembling this program based entirely on musical values, Tharaud and his colleagues allow Satie’s stature as a unique musical voice emerge all the more impressively.
- David Hurwitz
