Nikos Skalkottas (1904–49) was one of the first Greek composers to adopt atonality and the twelve-tone method, a pupil of Schoenberg who developed a highly personal approach. The Largo Sinfonico is a central work in his output, originally part of the Second Symphonic Suite; with its Brucknerian breadth and 16 interrelated tone rows that define both thematic material and formal structure, it epitomizes his creative universe. The Greek Dances reveal an entirely different face of his creativity — vivid, rhythmically compelling orchestrations of folk material including Thessalikos, Epirotikos, Arkadikos and Keftikos. In these dances Skalkottas invented his own thematic ideas inspired by the irregular metres and modal scales of Greek folk music, creating a sound world that is both deeply rooted and entirely individual.