Sophisticated but rather shallow playing

Ciccolini's recording of Satie's piano music had dominated decades as finest set, but only because there wasn't any rivals at the time. Now compared to other superior recordings, his playing, highly sophisticated, sounds rather conventional and shallow. I get an impression that this pianist regarded Satie's music as some witty light music. I would love complete satie piano works played with more depth and delicacy (Leeuw's earlier recording comes close to ideal, but it was not complete set). Thibaudet's complete recording is very fine, but again without much depth.

The Master of Haunting Music
From the first moment I heard his haunting piano pieces, I knew I must buy a CD with his best music, which from what I've heard, is just about anything. For anyone who wants to hear music that will stay in your memory long after listening to it, even though it seems to be simple notes on a piano, this CD collection is definitely the place to start.

Satie Again....
The best available recording of an overplayed and utterly tapped out work. If only Hollywood hadn't gotten hold of Satie. But they have, and now his work forever invokes pale heroines wandering around in the forest/on the beach/in the ballroom, staring out of windows and whining anemically about the winter setting in.

Satie
This is the best cd you can buy about Satie works on piano. Aldo Ciccolini is very good at the piano playing the major known works of this amazing artist. Great price, excellent music.

Picasso in sound
Pablo Picasso, Jean Cocteau and Eric Satie were drinking buddies; it shouldn't be surprising that their work, though in different media, should bear striking similarities. This CD set replaces a very badly abused vinyl recording from the 1960s. No one plays Satie like Aldo Ciccolini. I do wish the Parade had been included, Satie wrote the music, Cocteau the libretto and Picasso did the sets and costumes-Satie's only ballet. Of course, the circa 1910 audience walked out. It's the story of an out-of-work ballet company that goes out onto the streets of Paris to try to get customers to come inside. The customers are stereotypes like the American in a cowboy outfit who adds the sound of this six gun to the music and the secretary who types through the encounter. The back wall of the theater was covered with Picasso designed neon signs flashing in bright colors throughout the performance. Across the front of the stage he'd strung acetate on which were playing street scenes of Paris from three cameras-red, blue and green. The men were way, way ahead of their times.