This classically trained composer is also blessed with pop gifts, making him a true polymath. On mid-'90s track “Cascade Street”, his vocal line suggests the melodic tradition of French chanson, while the manic keyboard part has the feel of baroque music filtered through a contemporary minimalist energy. On singles like “A Midsummer Evening”, Tiersen uses a buoyant groove as the engine for his harmonic sophistication. The charming soundtrack for Amélie is his most popular creation, but as these selections prove, he's more than a composer of attractive film scores.