In this breathtakingly brilliant piece, which demands great virtuosity, we can clearly hear Catoire taking his place among the leading composers of his day for the piano—combining elements of Rachmaninov, Scriabin and Debussy. The reference to these other masters should not imply infuences from them, rather to place this gossamer-like short piece within its artistic milieu. Marked ‘Allegro fantastico’, the dynamic rarely rises to forte and only once to fortissimo.
from notes by Robert Matthew-Walker © 1999
