In the last few decades "Puss in Boots" (from Perrault), one of the four children's operas he composed, has gained wide appeal in Germany. Nevertheless, despite the fact that more of Cui's music has been made available in recent years, both in recordings and in new printed editions, his status in today's repertoire is considerably limited, based (in the West) primarily on some of his piano and chamber music (such as the violin and piano piece "Orientale" (op. 50, No. 9)) and a number of solo songs. The received wisdom is that he is not a particularly talented composer, at least for large forms; his strongest talent is said to lie in the crystallization of mood at an instant as captured in his art songs and instrumental miniatures. Although his abilities as an orchestrator have also been disparaged (notably by his compatriot Rimsky-Korsakov), some recent recordings, such as his one-act opera "A Feast in Time of Plague", from Pushkin) suggest that Cui's dramatic music might be more interesting to pursue with regard to this feature.