Paul Dukas’ quest for perfection led him to destroy most of his own scores in the 1920s, and the few that survived are therefore of the highest quality. The works on this recording were all inspired by or dedicated to great composers, namely Saint-Saëns, Debussy, Rameau and Haydn. From the very first notes of La Plainte, au loin, du faune, a sombre, noble and unpretentious work written following the death of a close friend, we are left in no doubt of Dukas’ love for the work of Debussy. The Piano Sonata, composed on a grander scale altogether, is acknowledged to be one of the twentieth century’s greatest works for piano.