There are striking similarities between a group of Soviet composers, all born in the 1930s, and the more widely recognised associations of French and Russian composers known respectively as ‘Les Six’ and the ‘Mighty Handful’. They hailed from ethnic minorities in the Russian-dominated Soviet Union and defied cultural-political directives. This eventually led them to a post-ideological musical language of their own, guided by personal faith, and with a unique beauty that enchants listeners to this day. Gija Kancheli, who was born in Tbilisi in 1935, is one of them. A fellow composer called him “an ascetic with the temperament of a maximalist – a restrained Vesuvius.” The works on this album, all featuring the piano, exemplify that side to his music: To be able to make time seemingly stand still … while continuing to dance.