Part II of the extremely meritorious D’Indy series by GENUIN offers surprising views of the classicist, the great preserver, perhaps also the last French romantic. The range covered by the magnificent pianist Michael Schäfer extends from the first work authorised by D’Indy, the delightful “Petite Sonate,” to his opus summum, the monumental Piano Sonata in E Minor as well as the Fantasy from the composer’s final year. Once again, as in the first album, the pianist succeeds in carrying along the listener right from the beginning: the straight, uncomplicated phrases of the early work are just as convincing as the chord agglomerations of the great Sonata and the old master’s sparkling fun and games with a wink of his eye. Listeners are taken on a fascinating journey of discovery to a solitary and unique figure, to a comet whose glow still lights up the sky over France.