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Langgaard: Father & Son

SIEGFRIED LANGGAARD (1852-1914): Piano Concerto No. 1 in E Minor, RUED LANGGAARD (1893-1952): From Arild - Concerto for Piano and Orchestra after Siegfried Langgaard. Rued Langgaard's father was an accomplished pianist who gave up performing due to a problem with nervousness on stage; he wrote a number of short piano pieces and two concertos. The one recorded here dates from around 1885 and, although published, has never been performed before now. It is a fine example of the late romantic piano concerto, brilliantly orchestrated, melodically inspired and, unlike flashier, frothy, virtuoso display works, takes its inspiration from the seriousness of Brahms' or Tchaikovsky's concertos. Although not performed in its orchestral form, the solo part was played by Bernhard Stavenhagen to Franz Liszt in 1886, prompting a brief letter of acclamation to Langgaard from the Hungarian master. The accompanying concerto is - as one might expect from its composer - rather unusual. Completed in 1935, the piece is based entirely on music left by Rued's father, the first movement using excerpts from an unpublished and incompletely adapted version of the above E minor concerto and the second movement using material from an unfinished E minor concerto of his father's. The fourth movement finale uses more material from the latter along with a partly orchestrated Valse-Caprice by Siegfried as well as fragments from his Grand Paraphrase de "Walkürenruf". Rued gave the movements bizarre titles: "Cliffs", "Surf" and "Harvest Time" with the third movement's "Starry Skies" name taken from Siegfried's second piano concerto. Using a very large orchestra, this concerto attempts, in the light of recollection, to reproduce the general feeling of the epoch of the turn of the century which Rued considered to be a high point in the history of music, in which art and spirituality formed a synthesis, as was the case with Symbolism. No one who has been collecting the latest Langgaard releases will be disappointed by this one - in fact, it's just as unusual, eclectic and thought-provoking as Antikrist or any other of the choral-orchestral pieces which have appeared recently in these pages. Oleg Marshev (piano), Danish Philharmonic Orchestra, South Jutland; Matthias Aeschbacher. Danacord DACOCD 535 (Denmark) 03B001 $17.98

MYASKOVSKY - Symphony No. 2 - CD Premiere!

NIKOLAI MYASKOVSKY (1881-1950): Symphony No. 2 in C Sharp Minor, Op. 11, Symphony No. 10 in F Minor, Op. 30. First CD appearance of the second symphony which was completed in 1911, shortly after the composer's graduation from the Moscow Conservatory. Stylistically, this is still pre-mature Myaskovsky (his first masterpiece was the Symphony No. 3) but all of the composer's expressive traits are here: gloominess, a somber quality, melancholy and a sense of world-weariness and tragedy; the score is peppered with such performance directions as languido, lugubre, minaccioso, languendo and con disperazione. In three movements, the work uses a huge orchestra of triple woodwinds and a large brass section; low-register instruments characterize the sound image and lend a brooding lugubriousness to the music. Unease and anxiety fill the first movement and the slow second movement is like a restless sleep punctuated by disturbing dreams; the music rises to an angry, impassioned climax only in the final movement. This is the best performance of the tenth symphony now available: the work was written in 1927 and its single-movement form is accurately described in Soviet sources as "an individualistic concept of pessimism realized through expressionistic images" and its highly chromaticized F minor tonality is at times reminiscent of early Schoenberg. Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra; Gottfried Rabl. Orfeo C 496 991 A (Germany) 03B002 $18.98

WILHELM PETERSON-BERGER (1867-1942): Symphony No. 3 "Same Ätnam", Earina Suite, Chorale and Fugue from The Doomsday Prophets. Composed between 1913 and 1915, this symphony (subtitled "Lappland") is Peterson-Berger's finest. Its 42-plus minutes convey the composer's lifelong love of the outdoors and especially that of northern Sweden. He uses five Lappish joiks (a wordless, improvised chant) notated by an ethnomusicologial researcher, giving every movement a rich source from which he can spin enchanting and invigorating tales of the mythic past (first movement "Scenes from the Distant Past"), the exotic sparkle of a far Northern "Winter Evening" (second movement), the sublime fragrance of a "Summer Night" (third movement) and the optimistic, light-music tinged future (final movement "Dreams of the Future"). Earina dates from 1917 and takes its title from the Ancient Greek noun for "Spring". Its five movements are rich in breadth and fantasy, depicting various events and rituals of the season. The Doomsday Prophets is a comic opera from 1917 and the two pieces here recorded were arranged for the concert hall in 1970 by composer and professor Gunnar Johansson. Norrköping Symphony Orchestra; Michail Jurowski. CPO 999 632 (Germany) 03B003 $15.98

FRANZ SCHREKER (1878-1934): Prelude to a Drama, Valse lente, Ekkehard - Symphonic Overture, Op. 12, Symphonic Interlude from Der Schatzgräber, Nachtstück from Der Ferne Klang, Fantastic Overture, Op. 15. These pieces have been recorded before (but the operatic excerpts only as part of full sets) but this is probably the finest orchestra and the best recording to have offered them. From the early Ekkehard and Fantastic Overture (1903-4) to the mature works such as Prelude to a Drama (1914), Schreker's fine talents as an orchestrator are vividly on view; the later works show a personality of intriguing originality. 1918s interlude from the opera Der Schatzgräber is one of the most erotic pieces of music since the Liebestod of Wagner. BBC Philharmonic; Vasily Sinaisky. Chandos 9797 (England) 03B004 $16.98

ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD (1897-1957): Prelude to Act II from Die tote Stadt, Op. 12, Interlude from Das Wunder der Heliane, Op. 20, Prelude and Serenade from Der Schneemann, Baby Serenade, Op. 24, Sursum Corda, Op. 13. This collection offers the first CD appearance of these two operatic excerpts outside of the complete opera recordings. The intoxicating, erotically bewitching music from Das Wunder should make everyone who hears it search out the opera right away. Korngold's gentler, humorous side is present in his precocious excerpts from "The Snowman" and in his musical welcome to his son from 1932. A good place to start if you don't already know Korngold's "serious" music. Bruckner Orchester Linz; Caspar Richter. ASV DCA 1074 (England) 03B005 $16.98

KLAUS EGGE (1906-1979): String Quartet No. 1, Op. 5, FARTEIN VALEN (1887-1952): String Quartet No. 2, Op. 13, JOHAN KVANDAL (1919-1999): String Quartet No. 3, Op. 60, ALFRED JANSON (b.1937): String Quartet. Two early 20th century and two contemporary Norwegian composers are represented here. Egge, for all his late gravitation toward but never quite to 12-tone music, retained folk music as his inspiration and his 1933 quartet includes both Norwegian melodies and an Eskimo lament (the work was a memorial to a poet Egge knew well and its first movement Largo funèbre was played at the funeral). Valen developed his own atonal system of composition and his 1932 work demonstates his characteristic introspection and power of expression via strictly executed dissonant polyphony. Kvandal's quartet, like Egge's, makes use of Norwegian folk song but also partakes of more dissonant and experimental forms while Janson's brief 1976 piece is introspective, intense and lyrically expressive. Oslo String Quartet. Naxos 8.554384 (New Zealand) 03B006 $5.98

ARTHUR BLISS (1891-1975): A Knot of Riddles for Baritone and 11 Instruments, 3 Romantic Songs, 4 Songs for Soprano, Violin and Piano, 7 American Poems, 2 American Poems, 3 Songs, Fair is my love, In praise of his Daphnis, The Tramps, When I was one-and-twenty, 2 Nursery Rhymes, Elegiac Sonnet for Tenor, String Quartet and Piano, Angels of the Mind, Incidental Music to The Tempest for Tenor, Baritone, Piano, Trumpet, Trombone and Percussion, The Ballads of the Four Seasons, The fallow deer at the lonely house, Rich or Poor, A Child's Prayer, 3 Jolly Gentlemen, The Hammers, Simples, 'Tis time I think by Wenlock town, At the Window, Auvergnat. More than just a series of piano-accompanied songs in the English pastoral vein (although there are some of those), this collection includes a riotous "overture" for a Shakespeare play from 1921 whose percussion assault is quite un-pastoral. 1968's Angels of the Mind, on the other hand, is a moving farewell to sixty years as a composer and songwriter. 2 CDs. Texts included. Geraldine McGreevey (soprano), Toby Spence (tenor), Henry Herford (baritone), Kathron Sturrock (piano), The Nash Ensemble; Martyn Brabbins. Hyperion CDA 67188/9 (England) 03B007 $35.98

Unknown Dutch Romantic Composer!

RICHARD HOL (1825-1904): Symphony No. 1 in C Minor, Symphony No. 3 in B Flat, Op. 101. The first in a series of recordings by this orchestra of Dutch composers of the 19th and 20th centuries bring⓲J$xDX@R#%Vۍ\$6w7҂~yJ؊rm9E/v-린 {>{'mQ]ݥȢ+;+|k$lb2(xī=JUiU:Pi4՚rm{yzuK2u*6 D5MXP;Y8ڵNGVͫz鶗Wn!;j}=oF!n*~tTlm\ 09k5f{m>{ YaЍF$5 C쭢|'t]ۿJOЭ&{KZfpҔ)(ݦRq)=jQ9VGJX #Nw|ܛZ-O|'ߵơܺ rbIՖ2RyCm=DQU/8ѻ{&޷wӊwm7k{eMM-/]#kkd)ͫ%̐@\^mdriRiZEY߲)[~TU)EFydյ/-l쮵FH쪼N$v"x7eI*y%*LzSvQj>K=I6Gue+)^2TdvWR9_1s$X9egڅ[;Zp3n2(Pmttii+6v.O[_IF{zmd<3@d-FTe%M4)*fu/.nI)ÓI&m\I'.6{Nku|d(b1$mjۧ(u's\]::*J>|WvmY%+ޭ%''\P~f].߷MyR|eM5Ώhֺ([sqpӋ$itAnvY-XF! V:r){KtiWQ\\-Xס)Qc$iz8I; 3xhÿZ?mWf<+9wE!>o$qɢy>u*N&v\J͵(r+NY(\2^m}^cCIYFVri(&ݛoG%? %wv[Ooskua-ͽݬuo-]BRX!Z^㻺j{UmSĚi^#gk^ֶwpHQ[w*6bbR0Fp2A[;zieӍvvץޒv%v S \瞇jM{7z_ugz}zk~-ܗw2(eܨ2bI9ikk[+'׿fӔ~6޼M5<։Bʅ`9j_,w{+]h5֫FO;|˭/5܎ʈFțg##yTW|K[6W׻oNjElfy質R#Ί#-rJ';Ku˙]IЖM$vעvӬh[͂Bۜ1 ^RUVsǘ<12w &4E.V]7[ZY fU"8(JF^5~U1Q,\bk^wWo{A-ݻik[zHVM"q+!Sm,8v_$%k٭omtW^{.W4[м[:8pGa˵GBRqv޷ѽ߶oVoo˷rO$?uc'F8tgS8Ǔyi }2Z2'[&KѻŸ%m[r 8un&m- xvn֍w#;}Ml&eGJ9Z*'ky,-UjPNKWlͨVUc$,.-}5:!:3%jGb1{ߒ6y;_:v/syaWm DV0$ZVצZ__ 点u*̠2TcAb9'Ԗ򽮺ٿu2ZWlY 7v95T^?9QWәi姞zB}I\Y."PpF%s3OVUm{[ioORuI鲽KnFUڠy.P!#=SuVmEo%qp8+66ى|7tݓT]l{v'綿ׯDlQ09jRGGqsjT[ӋN6~KVV ӧ)clLe ,X|X%{01h&k-wew/{Ypєs$rliE]{-g{~}Vo]?.9x?|i𧁼=Z6XͶg$:wݭkZzN% P+*$JՖ$34d❚vhI._/>3~8A&|kap`#lwy}w.+CL/pY4ͤ۴^ڼ%w+府䬤+nM{沓w<g0$N(Jʤվ'u{v՚VdDΖG*$[]P }:c'-8\\}tov$,!m>^[%mUVKs~2kӽch'(WI1{ǑcDi8µjT#Jv5gh-u*iIUNfi%[鲖il|~:5 yŤW21%OT²Z:_fMIMmtIouW6eVn)&욺O]t<_;k})98iB˘g8#`&fįV5Iž}vm{,խO2z];]줽k->_.#j>"[U>-eLKYBp*,ۖ5!bQ0q"[욳VjitII,ª^2[o]-? .\X|i*63 Ae~POQ>iRnֻWZ'.uk]%ϪvtiS֛_v[[fշů~˵"hİ%1m1cuE۴Ɔ6qT8n_#9'Jj~꽞hmaoCwfE6іA&ۉd@ȊTv8ℒMi7kKKihV.V+ʒז%oKuv)'4Msqj,fܶm., yeVR<ҫ7 2nR7rVҽL0ulrJӽӥL0獒;ɔ#aL+rUT~2Dci_RqսZoWI];uEK'eZⵍ;MKJt]_E4_D>jwmox^zMGqm}9-<&]Y6ڍČ)UgiFZ>G&&Fz8I5޺[v>>k|?< ?It;˘H̖,r  ԅ%8C1U=(BqoEʔ%dj[3hVJR('{noDk>UeJ"l֢Xgqď' %B. iaU{>RrOQ[-~4dnv;uQKTI4Slj/Zic-q{(gڤ3yM$+7h]KNR)Y^_TN5/[rGq2Eo9#y7'44~PX.rƭ(JZFr޽VʒN7yuhb%YuNv=;W]<뷟WbCcSt}i&O7k+6yؕwfpJUAӡ6Q]ն鮷^+Ӧ+>PŶz)`1AR/e{k]]c*fDc^1@bR#AXy83+*Ӎ[5ʖ4^$~FܪBN7\1T鐨jݚ5+E E,E۴%F p9OJ>[ߥ%io^Qz%ﰊ!`9X?  dg"U/w+n-zۧm)vC1i$yYY[3"Rz۰Z޽o^߈=" `UȪ1BQNQMY~v섴k[/v|Mm^xG\?-kAs 7 ~;oA ܭsC|sZThF鴒Vy?*n+T9s us two works by a fine accompanist to singers, choir and orchestral conductor who also composed four symphonies in the style of Schumann and Mendelssohn. The first (1863), although squarely in Brahmsian territory chronologically, employs all of the bracing vigor, terseness and plain-speaking directness of the Schumann of the Symphony No. 1 and the overtures. The third symphony (probably completed around 1867 although not published until 1884) uses a more advanced instrumental and harmonic structure but its scherzo is still of enchanting Mendelssohnian bent and the succeeding Nachtmusik is very early-Classical in spirit. A brilliant start to what promises to be an ear-opening series! Residentie Orchestra The Hague; Matthias Bamert. Chandos 9796 (England) 03B008 $16.98

Hamerik: Father and Son

ASGER HAMERIK (1843-1923): Jewish Trilogy, Concert Romance for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 27, EBBE HAMERIK (1898-1951): Cantus firmus V (Sinfonia breve), Concerto molto breve for Oboe and Orchestra. Asger's Jewish Trilogy dates from 1868 when the 25-year-old was studying in Paris with Berlioz. Originally intended as incidental music for a play by Meir Goldschmidt, the work's third and final movement is the only one to use an actual Jewish melody (attributed by Jewish sources to Moses' time). The brief but lovely Romance has appeared before but only in its piano version. Son Ebbe's fifth symphony is the major discovery though: all of his symphonies bore the title Cantus firmus which refers to the use of monothematic metamorphosis favored by the composer. Using a massive orchestra, the symphony's five movements ring the changes on its theme with great skill and brilliant orchestration, its slow movement showing Ebbe's masterly contrapuntal ability. The oboe concerto was left unorchestrated at the composer's death and was finished by the oboist to whom it was dedicated - a work in debt to the neo-classical Stravinsky with resemblances also of Holmboe, Bentzon and Koppel. Henrik Steensgaard (cello), Jørgen Frederiksen (oboe), Danish Philharmonic Orchestra, South Jutland; Moshe Atzmon. Danacord DACOCD 526 (Denmark) 03B009 $17.98

LUDVIG NORMAN - Symphonies

LUDVIG NORMAN (1831-1885): Symphony No. 1 in F, Op. 22, Symphony No. 3 in D Minor, Op. 58. Norman was a major figure in Swedish musical life both as composer and conductor and, unlike many of his colleagues who wrote only one symphony or none at all, due to the difficulty in getting them performed in his home country, he wrote three fine ones. The first dates from 1857-59 and its energetic and insistently rhythmical writing immediately recalls Schumann, whom the young Norman supported in the academic rivalry then prevalent between traditionalists who hailed Mendelssohn and the innovators who looked to Schumann. The third symphony dates from 1881 and combines the clear form and fresh humor of the first symphony with the profound and powerful content of the second. The finale alludes in several ways to that of Schumann's first symphony and the work, weightier than its discmate (Norman seems to be quite aware of Brahms too), remains just as buoyant and outgoing. National Symphony Orchestra of South Africa; Mika Eichenholz. Sterling CDS-1038 (Sweden) 03B1010 $15.98

Romantic Danish Cello Concertos

SIEGFRIED SALOMON (1885-1962): Cello Concerto, Op. 34, FRANZ NERUDA (1843-1915): Cello Concerto No. 2, Op. 59, EMIL HARTMANN (1836-1898): Cello Concerto, Op. 26, ASGER HAMERIK (1843-1923): Concert Romance for Cello and Orchestra, Op. 27. Hartmann's and Neruda's concertos are short, 12-15 minute affairs but differ in style: Hartmann (1880) wrote a easy-going, sunny piece with extroverted virtuosity in the first movement while Neruda (1887) dedicated his to the Russian Davidov, emulating the latter in single-movement form and high technical demands. Salomon's is the largest work here: dating from 1958, the most contemporary influence which can be heard (briefly) is Carl Nielsen; the composer himself said that his major influences on the concerto were Børresen and Asger Hamerik! Lush Romanticism alive and well in mid-20th-century Denmark! Morten Zeuthen (cello), Bohemian Chamber Philharmonic; Douglas Bostock. Classico CLASSCD 315 (Denmark) 03B011 $14.98

GIAN FRANCESCO MALIPIERO (1882-1973): Symphonic Fragments from Tre commedie goldoniane, La Cimarosiana, Gabrieliana, Stradivario. Malipiero's lighter side is stressed here in the two suites which update melodies by past Italian composers Domenico Cimarosa (1921) and Giovanni Gabrieli (1971); the composer was also an important figure in researching and editing the scores of Monteverdi and Gabrieli and his love for his ancestral colleagues is evident in these delightful scores. Stradivario (1948) is a one-act ballet score with solo violin which tells the colorful story of a stolen Stradivarius in music of endless charm and vigor while the excerpts from the opera "Three Goldoni Comedies" are resourceful depictions of the bustle of Venetian street life, the domestic intrigues of its mansions and its quayside squabbles. Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana; Christian Benda. Marco Polo 8.225118 (New Zealand) 03B012 $14.98

GUATEMALA - Volume 3

MANUEL MARTÍNEZ-SOBRAL (1879-1946): Piano Sonata, Hojas de Álbum, 3 Pieces for Piano, Evocaciones, Volapié, Vals Brillante de Concierto. Living in a musical backwater has its attractions for subsequent record collectors: Martínez-Sobral's acquaintance with contemporary music seems not to have gone beyond the 1860s. The sonata (1906) pays homage to Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven and Schubert while the Hojas (1910) evokes aspects of Italianate song and opera of the mid-19th century. Perhaps most striking are the Evocaciones, three funereal/elegiac pieces written between 1906-1924 in honor of deceased colleagues which have a sad and mysterious poetry. Suzanne Husson (piano). Marco Polo 8.225104 (New Zealand) 03B013 $14.98

GIUSEPPE TARTINI (1692-1770): The Violin Concertos, Vol. 6 - Concertos in D Minor "Ombra diletta...", D 44, in A, D 92, in G, D 74 & in A,D 93. Four more concertos from Tartini's early period, including one in the rarely used key of D minor (whose sorrowful Grave is quite striking). The solemn slow movements and spirited outer movements contain all of the composer's personal traits - cantabile melodies, whimsical and asymmetrical figures - which make him such an important and influential figure in the history of the violin concerto. L'Arte Dell'Arco. Dynamic CDS 245 (Italy) 03B014 $17.98

FRANCESCO MANFREDINI (1684-1762): 12 Concerti, Op. 3. This same opus was offered in our November catalogue on Naxos; here is an extraordinarily vivid recording on period instruments which knocks the socks off the Naxos! Les Amis de Philippe; Ludger Rémy. CPO 999 638 (Germany) 03B015 $15.98

JOHANN FRIEDRICH FASCH (1688-1758): Overture in D Minor, Concerto in B Flat for Chalumeau, 2 Oboes, 2 Violins, Viola and Basso Continuo, Jauchzet dem Herrn for Bass, 2 Violins, Viola and B.C., Laetatus sum for Soprano, Bass, 2 Violins, Viola and B.C., Sanftes Brausen, süßes Sausen for Bass, Chalumeau, Oboe, Bassoon, 2 Violins, Viola and B.C. Fasch's stature as a composer continues to increase as more recordings appear; the overture here (at 29 minutes by far the biggest work on the disc) is as enjoyable as any by Telemann and the use of chalumeau and the "French wind trio" of two oboes and bassoon gives the music marvellously attractive colors. The Pentecost cantata, Sanftes Brausen, also has a prominent part for the chalumeau; a bright New Year's cantata, a short Psalm setting and a concerto shorter but as attractive as the overture make up a thoroughly enjoyable disc. Klaus Mertens (baritone), Deborah York (soprano), Accademia Daniel; Shalev Ad-El. CPO 999 674 (Germany) 03B016 $15.98

PIETRO NARDINI (1722-1764): Violin Sonatas in G, A, F and A. Nardini stood apart from most violinist/composers of his day by eschewing facile virtuosity and concentrating on an elegance and fullness of spirit, a singing line which, however, was not without its chromaticisms and technical difficulties which were put to the service of taste and expression. Lovely pieces on the cusp of Classicism. Ensemble "Ardi Cor Mio". Tactus TC 721401 (Italy) 03B017 $17.98

JEAN BARRIÈRE (c.1707-1747): Cello Sonatas in F Sharp Minor, B Flat, C Minor, D Minor & G. Barrière was the first French composer to write for the cello, doing for it what Leclair did for the violin and Forqueray for the gamba: offer technically demanding pieces full of double stops and chords in rich and daring harmonies and using the instrument's registers to the full. Although his fame was brief, due to the change in musical style represented by Boccherini and the Duports, he left a body of music which will appeal to anyone fond of the cello or of late Baroque instrumental sonatas. Ivan Monighetti (cello), Käthi Goll (continuo cello), Yasunori Imamura (theorbo, baroque guitar), Daniela Dolci (harpsichord). Pan Classics 510 116 (Switzerland) 03B018 $18.98

JOÃO DOMINGOS BOMTEMPO (1775-1842): Piano Sonatas No. 2 in C, Op. 5, No. 7 in G Minor, Op. 15/2 & No. 9 in F Minor, Op. 18/2. Gabriela Canavilhas (piano). Collectors of this late Classical/early Romantic Portuguese composer will be delighted to have the second sonata, discovered only a few years ago in the Stanford University library and recorded here for the first time. Dating from c.1806, it has a Romantic profile which makes one think more of Beethoven than of Mozart. Strauss/Portugalsom SP 4187 (Portugal) 03B019 $13.98

GEORGE FREDERICK PINTO (1785-1806): Grand Sonatas in C Minor, E Flat, Op. 3/1 & in A, Op. 3/2, Fantasia and Sonata in C Minor, Minuetto in A, Rondo in E Flat, Rondo on an Irish Air, "Cory Owen". Dead before the age of 21, Pinto, like Arriaga in Spain, is one of the greatest losses to the musical world of the Classical/ Romantic period. This disc alone is enough to convince anyone of that, with its bold and innovative writing, based on Mozart and Haydn but, at times, looking astonishingly forward to Schubert and Schumann. Hearing is believing! Míceál O'Rourke (piano). Chandos 9798 (England) 03B020 $16.98

JAN LADISLAV DUSÍK (1760-1812): Piano Concerto in E Flat, Op. 70, Piano Sonata in F Sharp Minor "Elégie harmonique sur la mort du Prince Louis Ferdinand de Prusse", Op. 61, Piano Sonata in A Flat "Le retour à Paris", Op. 64. Dusík's bold, harmonically daring and forward-looking piano style is usefully chronicled in this collection of works completed between 1806 and 1810 and though the works have been recorded before, this combination is a perfect place to start for anyone who has yet to sample the delights of this early Romantic composer. Jan Novotny (piano), The Prague Philharmonia; Leos Svárovsky. Panton 81 9015-2 (Czech Republic) 03B021 $16.98

VÁCLAV PICHL (1741-1805): String Trio in D, FRANTI·EK VINCENC KRAMÁ¤-KROMMER (1759-1831): Grand Trio in F for String Trio, Op. 96. Pichl's work is a pleasant galant trifle lasting 17 minutes, suitable for outdoor or salon performance but Krommer's is another story altogether. Lasting over 43 minutes, dating from1818, this is a six-movement divertimento with two slow movements and two minuets, although the second is really an early Romantic scherzo. Showing many affinities with Beethoven, the work keeps one's attention all the way through, a tribute to Krommer's harmonic invention, use of chromaticism and vigorous, rhythmical writing. Czech String Trio. Vars VA 0098-2 (Czech Republic) 03B022 $16.98

MUZIO CLEMENTI (1752-1832): 7 Sonatas for Fortepiano and Flute from Opp. 2, 3, 4 & 13. These sonatas, with the exception of op. 13, date from before 1780 when Clementi was trying to gain a foothold in English musical life. Like the majority of Mozart's violin sonatas, these pieces add simple flute parts to piano writing which demands rather more technique. The op. 13 sonata, though, dating from 1785, has left behind the galant stylistic features of its predecessors and requires a fully professional pianist. Andrea Coen (fortepiano), Laura Pontecorvo (flute). Dynamic CDS 224 (Italy) 03B023 $17.98

VAGN HOLMBOE (1909-1996): Complete Chamber Concertos, Vol. 4 - No. 10 for Wood-Brass-Gut and Orchestra, Op. 40, No. 11 for Trumpet and Chamber Orchestra, Op. 44, No. 12 for Trombone and Orchestra, Op. 52 & No. 13 for Oboe, Viola and Chamber Orchestra, Op. 67. It is strange to think that Vagn Holmboe was pretty much unknown throughout most of the world as little as 15 years ago, since now that we have the opportunity to hear a good percentage of his output, it becomes more and more apparent that he is a major composer of the 20th century, both in terms of his position in music history and for the sheer quality of the music he wrote. The obvious successor to Nielsen in his harmonic language and the extraordinary dynamism and energy of his music, there are also strong ties to Sibelius in the organic organisation and development of his ideas. The series of Chamber Concertos, of which this disc presents the four that span the decade from the mid-1950s to mid-60s, use unusual combinations of instruments, sometimes in concertante style, sometimes in concerto grosso ensemble, in music that is essentially Nordic, though incorporating fascinating reflections of folk-musics from throughout Europe. These works have symphonic scope, and stand alongside Holmboe's symphonies in quality of content and inspiration of utterance. Jacques Mauger (trombone), Ole Edvard Antonsen (trumpet), Tim Frederisksen (viola), Max Artved (oboe), Danish Radio Sinfonietta; Hannu Koivula. Marco Polo/Dacapo 8.224087 (Denmark) 03B024 $14.98

SERGEI SLONIMSKY (b.1932): Rhapsody on Jewish Themes for Piano, String Orchestra, Flute and Percussion, DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975): From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79a (premiere recording of Yiddish version) for Soprano, Contralto, Tenor and Orchestra, SERGEI PROKOVIEV (1890-1953): Overture on Hebrew Themes for Clarinet, String Quartet and Piano, Op. 34. Julia Zilberquit (piano), Eva Ben-Zvi (soprano), Elena Goubina (alto), Nikolai Kurp (tenor), Bolshoi Theatre Orchestra; Andrei Chistiakov, Anton Dressler (clarinet), Glink+__\EX~mu8?E{%憛 _j0<׬QR'7P6Kq ,[A%(mTZz'J۶f]}G>6f@a sEY|bzB FSv v' J*+nIEGoKR|i[X,TgRoIiHi s|ğhY _,,*F NVU=e-I6ӲZ/?oZVӗ]nDn9IyfQ3!a +=P%g㪖'̷zkMVtr\޿ʵ讒`jXr+@3K09`qQtc*WvZKUhoiԟm2m뭴J8uwnE}mEB>\c3j_J;oʯ[ IB<֍],ӿsno!IykjXpA!>+tZ*i(er]"YSmZc>[h}?4ix;mBĖ"Z[3,VY+i\K0eoN'F;%Sv8dy- ]{hs_ MFNWl՝CktE֬ EGra7b(-YHXcT;H\x̾]:54uҳZmxkT50^]jfx;//O{Ybi`{dx$'?hm\2Pƕu('yZɻֈpتxJ?q󊲔Y>ktwI;7GkS=.d\\Y̱,λnǐ_ː}:SyRM붋-q5iڍ{xY|QwiuT}s-T1&X%9\l܎|*oͣMT.[5k۱_ʞGm?ƿ u>XjZ?<>ih^Pk,x+ t݂rV4ڔRw^\Vkm*mSklxO6kthmws%,n!w7Pp>+kPv=Z;ɹKwIRi\iEuh=VmNri{^d&,U#T2#UI$E/|NogU'"(!iǑS!R񈰈W9 xYIj`m{yﭙ=D 2BV y{xQg\F]vAi"_?#N92Ă 'O%%yik4]-}Z\uѴomȂI I9%${ZI`)7o6$71\yv~v%MͩmI| #+%!I 4O[*PsVkťGkCOqM[-(L*kP__{V^5ѶNXӜylRە!J#SI4Hw5W$\f¿U"+E*I\of/<y*l[>Mҏ羚]48YFVj-n~ߥ|f 2^墬EV]F vF/r| Z@ ץKp+Q6({{]JE!MIV6M^X|gRE:UmWUImns$)a~EK9+NQ._4SK\V&&zL;D]NŦڲ? jq|A돴*#ocMrH 2\]:0>2l# RJZjMx髺|ꅗDw*질yjFOEg+;A{4a-ῳX,3d; 3r)\maو VS;EskufWm8+8V>BRW]}uɗC?-˥X1И  ȨI(7UB2MJ<ҍu-]zM]֋ER]+jkwvejl~}h6,q`Ik~>n^Q |{]i |k;Y7z-8Gg{{F[Oky.̻gt4q "GOn\Mz%:уA-_/4c~򫦝խ{FsʮU*42m~-g{ uɼ{QF f5ݼ%ثUꤻww칭ZyZ=z_8,lTdMۋ0業{k˭^]EJw{9~M4%Av38ǽ-"OE^ffr 2* |ڮ 8+]㺷g{YKT'ݵy]\ovpBBTFْv_?)3qj+uZJbdфj`9R6nu`ArJ)=.mʴߓoyȎ@*\NU]!8.k¸ez%kI'o-8t~Cؒ([w#:H%ʲ)COڤ}>4݉tӵ8Y?t[F3HTp6Jvtj*ZoutVdmiZv&>*k?5)չY25X@Vls8ViBJ'xޗWt[+xU0woEhBSkM=me!|=]ֻuao+"eZ "̍vh s#'b0INIZSJZ֒Ri}BQVk^=~sk~$V1+ؚ5+T.%vBT RzEn֖OKrkzYj5jѥiIJijj+&]u譭/$e_.F20f[l39< Jquv+9-w{UdдCJX[iaG feQ)^h+F4_fo]ɱ a)ۣ+'tuM4ۼ%IܥfKe!e^ExCU@y<) >}}]uzɽ;kߠtKt6nϖMUO ҴO4-mK餮YO,{ݫi鶪W!usvȮbGӵ.4uY̸n|m~:uRV Ԫ-R*/XaQUQƓrvٽ-^_];xJ-7` ϧ’_xv٢16oVX%Vgw)ߗ+ͦO{];?uq<,fy+wqiӷ2RWic y^9'h>gFIP Fp '/+i6ٴַm_d.5]]k]:>~t+2!7Ġ~CvI5I;ۮhm.4mw+k^]vvt!>"6*Ac!GdH xNpeJmzFfoU}Ҽom[M7CM{YYLmI`*cpvpx_CAPW}_,;htfMkutMǷ➿xw>Gi\r[յy|>\  2p=z"tVOavodvi=" ZЧu.e{=n볲= 0g R㶆(̖#4p{^=|m#+ϙҾh4^5\̢yӖn{#:X#X-- w hbΓ% `sqʭjJPRwZ4ۤ}^ b*ޚ[yKEYE5o P|ln>dY VmQ8Y5+6ݭgqK~el}UVtR/Hvrq>Hf8CN2nHUF)˙YvwZ+2eiIeN[ar{(XiGI{0KUI뇩M6e yۖͮ_kpKҤ嫿*o?Bfcf"!*3/sw6O?#co^KbF(8 H%;9o/jM[-{\k*ӾYƔ(+F#)v:`kxt[oobzZ_^+E&3!og瞸UŴSm=/-D#P8貜Nn+=8K{yo}>˵b]qʿyr6d :&;^[rk4zz~&$c@g sˎP/oiOiq?wkPg)lqs;ؓI6ڷo]_O{͸^T1(;ctۂ1ʑFַkuV۹.lOVll/R7RCM*/P1GPwKO;^S[>/^rYq3VfdI*"J[rve< Tmw/~=+>I&~gx>(fMGPԤkα302ǹU#'*M7וkﻲ??UTT99T[{MmZmemM8n`R#fn{^-My#F吱lׅ9s9Nʧm$IdU'̴;촗IZֳMަ$,TK3.$_»-#o-6\~ջjޚޫT(ۙk;ed_zڜUh-`A+KvKe/M嫷G J.Ia Quartet. Nephew of the famous musicologist and lexicographer Nicolas, Sergei Slonimsky has been an (ignored) important Russian composer in his own right; the work receiving its first recording here was inspired by the pianist here recorded (a Russian immigrant to the U.S.). A harshly dissonant set of five notes pervades all three movements of the composition which, nevertheless, manages to include both references to the composer's previous Biblical compositions as well as klezmer melodies in a beguiling stew of ancient and modern motives. Maxim Shostakovich provides testimony to his father's desire to "have the actual Yiddish poems sung in his op. 79" and the musicologist who supplies the notes to this release found those texts in 1982, allowing this orchestral version to be performed. Russian Season/Le Chant du Monde RUS 288166 (France) 03B025 $17.98

JOSEPH MARX (1882-1964): Quartetto Chromatico, Quartetto in Modo Classico, Quartetto in Modo Antico. A member of the group of composers represented by such figures as Zemlinsky, Goldschmidt, Braunfels and Korngold who did not follow the Schoenberg revolution, Marx has been unjustly neglected. This release of his three string quartets makes some amends and offers compositions two of which, while written in the style of previous eras are never even close to mere pastiche. The "classical" quartet is the latest (1941) and is written in the spirit of Haydn and Mozart while using clearly late Romantic musical language. The "ancient" quartet (1938) is an homage to such composers as Palestrina and di Lasso, using a modal harmonic style and much free polyphony. The "chromatic" quartet (1937) could well have been by the pre-12-tone Schoenberg, shifting from key to key in its tortured chromaticisms while having an intensely romantic heart which seems to be informed by a wistful sadness for a lost world. Lyric Quartet. ASV DCA 1073 (England) 03B026 $16.98

JEAN LANGLAIS (1907-1991): 8 Chants de Bretagne, 3 Esquisses Gothiques, Offrande à une ame. This release presents three recordings made at Nôtre-Dame by the composer during final "rehearsals" on Saturday nights before Sunday public concerts. Recorded in complete takes without editing, we have here the positive of live recording without the negative of crowd noise. The Breton songs (composed in 1974 and recorded here in 1975) represent the composer's desire to recapture his ethnic origins; the Gothic Sketches (composed in 1975 and recorded in 1977) use Gregorian chants as inspiration for completely original compositions. Most affecting and most personal, though, is the "Offering to a Soul" of 1979 which is presented here in its first performance (March, 1981): a two-part requiem ("Toward the Light" and "In the Light") for his first wife, Jeannette, whose intimate emotions and extrovert majesty will appeal to any collector to whom the ecstatic religiosity of Messiaen appeals. Jean Langlais (organ of Nôtre-Dame, Paris). Solstice SOCD 165 (France) 03B027 $16.98

HERMANN SCHROEDER (1904-1984): Toccata, Op. 5, Salve Regina for Cello and Organ, Sonata for Cello and Organ, 7 Pezzi piccoli, Impromptu for Trumpet and Organ, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme - 3 Versets for Trumpet and Organ, 7 Preambles and Interludes, Prelude and Fugue on "Christ lag in Todesbanden". If Neoclassicism is something of a cliché in orchestral and piano music, then perhaps NeoBaroqueism will do as a catch-all term for what Hermann Schroeder is about. Certainly the influence of Bach's organ music is very strong in the early Toccata, or the later Preambles and Interludes - Schroeder's harmonic language is certainly of our century, but there is an austerity, and a complete rejection of odd noises and exploitation of the sheerly coloristic effects of the organ which definitely acknowledges models from pre-romantic times. With the fine sonata for cello and organ (why aren't there more contemporary works for this sort of combination?) something slightly different happens - it seems as though within the austere church organ composer there was a passionate romantic trying to get out. Whether explicitly expressing this trait or not, Schroeder was a superb composer for his instrument, and this disc is well worth hearing for anyone who loves organ music from Bach to Messiaen. Thomas Blees (cello), Wolfgang G. Haas (trumpet), Hans-André Stamm (Klais Organ of Altenburg Cathedral). Prezioso CD 800.012 (Germany) 03B028 $15.98

JAN K¤TITEL VANHAL (1739-1813): Viola Concertos in F and C, Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra in E Flat. There is no end of pleasing melody in this disc of concertos by Vanhal and the F major work is the composer's own transcription of a bassoon concerto only recently discovered. Pierre-Henri Xuereb (viola), Ovidiu Badila (double bass), Prussian Chamber Orchestra; Hans Rotman. Talent DOM 2910 55 (Belgium) 03B029 $10.98

FERNANDO SOR (1778-1839): Il Telemaco nell' isola di Calipso. Premiered in 1797, this was Sor's first and only opera, a delightful enough little piece in the Italianate style of the time with much pleasing melody and grateful writing for the voice, making one regret that the composer abandoned the stage. Italian-English libretto. Joan Cabero (tenor), Yolanda Auyanet (soprano), Garraf Chamber Orchestra; Joan Lluís Moraleda. Moraleda 9313 (Spain) 03B030 $16.98

JAN VÁCLAV KNùÎEK (1745-1806): Clarinet Concertos in B Flat & in E Flat, Concerto for 2 Clarinets and Orchestra in A. Another new discovery by Dieter Klöcker and another member of the seemingly inexhausible supply of musicians Bohemia supplied to Europe, Knezek spent his mature years in service at the court of Regensburg where he composed these three concertos. The only one dated, the B Flat, is from 1788 and borrows from two other composers while having a first movement reminiscent of early Mozart. The second concerto is all Knezek and in a style similar to mature Haydn. Dieter Klöcker (clarinet), Sandra Arnold (2nd clarinet), Southwest German Chamber Orchestra Pforzheim; Gernot Schmalfuss. Novalis 150 158-2 (Switzerland) 03B031 $16.98

JOHANN MOLTER (1695-1765): Horn Concerto in D, CHRISTOPH FÖRSTER (1693-1745): Horn Concerto in E Flat, FRANZ DANZI (1763-1826): Horn Concerto in E Flat, ANTON TEYBER (1756-1822): Horn Concerto, JOSEPH HAYDN (1732-1809): Horn Concerto No. 2. Zuk is becoming the Dieter Klöcker of the horn as he continues to search out unusual repertoire for his instrument from all periods. Here are five works which embrace the early Classical/galant period and the high Classical. Teyber's is perhaps the most striking, making him more than the answer to the trivia question "Who was appointed Austrian court composer after Mozart's death?". The Haydn is spurious but no less enjoyable for that. Zbigniew Zuk (horn), Wroclaw Chamber Orchestra; Jan Stanienda. Zuk Records 316 (Germany) 03B032 $10.98

GIOACCHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868): Matilde di Shabran. This ill-starred 1821 work is a melodramma giocoso - a rare example of the mixture of heroic, comic and tragic elements in one opera. The copious notes take us through all of the trials and tribulations (the indisposed concertmaster at the premiere was replaced by a gentleman named Paganini who also played a French horn obbligato extemporaneously on his viola) of an enjoyable, likeable piece which deserves its resurrection. 3 CDs. Italian-English libretto. Akie Amou (soprano), Roswitha Grabmeier Müller (contralto), Ricardo Bernal (tenor), Czech Chamber Chorus, I Virtuosi di Praga; Francesco Corti. Bongiovanni GB 2242/44 (Italy) 03B033 $50.98

HEINRICH MARSCHNER (1795-1861): Der Vampyr. This echt-Romantic opera, as important to the future of the genre as Weber's Freischütz (and like it in many ways), has not had a happy time of it on record. This is a live recording of what appears to be a concert performance (no stage noise and recitatives cut...) in January of 1980. The recording is near ideal, in excellent stereo with both voices and orchestra well-captured and with singers of almost uniformly high quality. An opportunity for all opera collectors to rejoice, even if it weren't at such a ridiculously low price! 2 CDs. German-Italian texts. Budget-price. Siegmund Nimsgern (baritone), Josef Protschka (tenor), Carole Farley (soprano), Martin Engel (bass), RAI Rome Symphony Orchestra and Chorus; Günter Neuhold. Hommage HOM 1834 (Germany) 03B034 $10.98

KONRADIN KREUTZER (1780-1849): Gesänge aus Goethes Faust. Kreutzer set several choruses from Goethe's great poem in 1820 and followed them four years later with settings for the protagonists. Given the forces chosen, the composer may not have envisioned actual public performance (the princess of Fürstenburg was one of the performers in a premiere given at court). Closer to the salon than to high Romanticism, this cycle should nevertheless appeal to collectors of the early Romantic lied. Alison Browner (mezzo), Stephan Genz (baritone), Mikhail Shelomyansky (bass), Thomas Hans (piano), Freiburger Vokalensemble; Wolfgang Schäfer. Arts 47563 (Germany) 03B035 $10.98

JOSÉ MAURÍCIO NUNES GARCIA (1767-1830): Missa Pastoril for Soloists, Chorus and Orchestra, Laudate Dominum, Laudate Pueri, Justus cum ceciderit, Dies Sanctificatus, Tarambote. Part of the series "Paths of the Baroque", this release offers a Mozartian mass from Brazil (1811) whose composer learned of Mozart and Haydn from his friend Sigismund von Neukomm and who premiered works of both composers in Rio de Janeiro. Not surprisingly, there is much Mozart and a little opera in the mass although some of the earlier psalms and graduals appended here show a much more baroque style. Ensemble Turicum; Luiz Alves da Silva & Mathias Weibel. K617 7102 (France) 03B036 $17.98

IGNAZ PLEYEL (1757-1831): Duo in B Flat, GIOACCHINO ROSSINI (1792-1868): Marche du Sultan, SIGISMOND THALBERG (1812-1871): Grande Fantaisie on Meyerbeer's opera Les Huguenots, IGNAZ MOSCHELES (1794-1870): Marche héroïque, Op. 31/3, HENRI HERZ (1803-1888): Air suisse national, FRÉDÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849)/ISIDORE PHILIPP (1863-1958): Valse, Op. 64/1, CHOPIN: Tarantella, Op. 43, FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886): Orphée, FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847): Andante and Allegro brillante, Op. 92. A well-filled recital of four-hand piano music mixing Liszt and Mendelssohn with premiere recordings of a host of sparkling, virtuosic and melodic Romantic showpieces. Duo Egri & Pertis. Hungaroton HCD 31930 (Hungary) 03B037 $16.98

LUIGI CHERUBINI (1760-1842): String Quartets No. 2 in C and No. 5 in F. Second volume of the first period-instrument recordings of these fine early Romantic quartets. Hausmusik. CPO 999 464 (Germany) 03B038 $15.98

ANTONIO BAZZINI (1818-1897): Violin Works, Vol. 1 - Violin Sonata in E Minor, Op. 55, 2 Novellette, Op. 54, 3 Morceaux, Op. 53, 3 Morceaux, Op. 46. Known throughout Europe as a violin virtuoso, Bazzini the composer has been all but neglected until quite recently. All the works presented here date from 1865-67; the sonata betrays Schumann's influence in its first-movement swings between impassioned heroism and lyrical introspection and its finale is capricious in the style of Mendelssohn. The two Novellette are mini tone-poems of Schumannian Romanticism while the two sets of Morceaux seem inspired by French salon music. Luigi Alberto Bianchi (violin), Aldo Orvieto (piano). Dynamic CDS 258 (Italy) 03B039 $17.98

AMILCARE ZANELLA (1873-1949): 3 Mazurkas, Tempo di Menuetto No. 1, Op. 29, Valzer Melodico, Op. 52/1, Tempo di Menuetto No. 2, Op. 54, Jota da Concerto, Op. 91, Ansia-Romanza senza parole, Umoresca, Op. 58/2, Alla Danza, Op. 38, Rêve (sul lago) da Il libro di Sogni, Op. 40, Rondò-Jazz da Concerto, Op. 92. Zanella's well-crafted, urbane compositions infuse Classical and Romantic forms with turn-of-the-century sensibility, beyond the salon but not weighty either. The composer was known in his time for a series of piano (and orchestral) works with bizarre, Satie-esque titles and some rather forward-looking rhythms and harmonies as well as a sharp sense of humor. The latter comes out a bit in the Umoresca and the Rêve and "Romance without Words" have a slight feeling of nocturnal unease. Lorenzo Bavaj (piano). Bongovanni GB 5094-2 (Italy) 03B040 $16.98

ISAAC ALBÉNIZ (1860-1909): Complete Piano Music, Vol. 2 - Iberia (Second Book), 7 Studies in the Natural Major Keys, Op. 65, Amalia, Op. 95, Ricordatti, Op. 96, Espagne (Souvenirs), La Vega. A very appealing collection of mostly unusual Albéniz: the seven studies date from 1887 when the composer was hoping to join the Madrid Conservatory. Abstract, classical in form and slightly academic, these pieces are directly indebted to Liszt with some echoes of Chopin and Schumann as well. Amalia and Ricordatti (1889) are mazurkas de salón which have an irresistable exuberence tempered by grace and vivacity while Espagne and La Vega (both from 1897 - the latter the only existing piece of a projected suite to be titled Alhambra) are rich in poetic sensibility and in the evocation of the composer's native Spain. Miguel Baselga (piano). BIS CD-1043 (Sweden) 03B041 $17.98

JOAQUÍN TURINA (1882-1949): Piano Works, Vol. 7 - El jueves Santo a medianoche from Sevilla, Op. 2 in Turina's version for Cello and Piano, Jardines de Andalucía, Op. 31, Las Musas de Andalucía, Op. 93, La romanza del Quiero y no puedo, Invocación a Sevilla. This series branches out a little from solo piano pieces in this seventh volume: Las Musas de Andalucía (1942) is a nine-piece depiction of the Muses using solo piano, piano and violin, cello and piano, string quartet, piano quintet and soprano and piano combinations. Jardines de Andalucía (1924) is an evocative solo piano cycle; a cello transcription of the first piece of Sevilla, made for Cassadò and a couple of other rarities fill out this disc of melodious Iberian music. Antonia Soria (piano), Rabel Quartet, Marçal Cervera (cello), Maria José Martos (soprano). Moraleda 6407 (Spain) 03B042 $16.98

VALENTIN NEUVILLE (1863-1941): Violin Sonata, Ô Salutaris, Lointaine chanson, Ce que le Roi vit de la fenêtre, Berceuse, Romance, Valse. Born in French Flanders and educated in Brussells, Neuville had a lengthy career as an organist; he composed very little (although two symphonies are included), even for the orgzRH]5Rd|W匷+#5ck.[du舗$rmiVJ-ط,NVʦ navI)Imwt}vZ?=L)uM+=z=WiϽ?a;-?(Ŀd>xEquoڏWgxZ5O*+ ]z^*ۖӃW19|gZ<ܶxE}^ Jzr4dz\[FrjSt)=JQk^'~.}VX׵ bQIndg~@IPp UBFrnMzoK|/ujTURRU'kNrVwݜ)ȍ@,c+;e 9MZ_%2QT&ǰ㪜e*I;]]|))МgN.%{엙 uųBY1In'*8c(w[=wI5 `ӺɽI_].JDZOi<^6/ XHKc1mlgi nS RS.ng(ݤwWM6z]F~."x>"? )$ֵO?iq9V2:yR|ky.M=4ias1\^=-]L nd",`6-Gt{#J)zw'*/}+hc޺7Z]+ asJƬ61!$)Tʆ9p+k2S}Stz ^fp\$Z[ttwNJ$KYˁd/#&) g GlbEkTz)$2mu\|bmOW{_K;- ]1eQc1G!(vb#)$ᩓyZs-۳UD݌ZEnI6OI,b"2.0U]b8ǟ_ *SiS\uwq˨FVӖ1NVU}4m!֕Dd.o_!|#̠}3qYr8^>^;{𕖋guNUgetI/k_Slk\7.Am9$kڜw)Y*+^kI'еZPR[;]Y]+4mյeKyr[yč RfEoTs@q:S+R䔖M=]k_2ZVjg[Jl(e ll#?t`Ԋ(qIӲox{F維$Z5KIf>ί*Lҕ6Ӳq<9'a5viZJ[%m.5y-tz-6FԴ.ԞDG[fFpM)ϧjM)>G8'x]M=̍jUW>g!R%+Cmq"+g{׆4V$Fg# leJFmʕqމ%ͧdW )N1d-:\Kf,<=eItGKmBgIeblc?pX(h4dT5Rnݺ;wiSۼVouѽS|th$1$;dWzh+sT4F!hygeAadXch#h˵z/öŨkjݖ*©V;S?'8 62蕵_`uܫ+H: ʿ̣>wUmR_/mW ̑B BC6Hqr}"[I=6_wY!bdf*%FqTۗMn;{_oaj?8cIsi۷߫ Iiwi %ـ\&X= T!E[ r{[onxt8| EfnXP{m=UBo|C[xƗ1D!Y!vUvK׌bqWWM[oc&gWTߣmh?n+쿈;y 4*C}ti۬ryb:0}Wӝ7fA֒ݵΤz|5\j$kRj 9Ս84V.dQw14m%]1:eNYX`F+uI+6[o>U檕ޏK,|)l-Bw6@8 ', '<0z.z;iwW[n<.Ro{/7K%G~rؙ[|(cڱ`2r#'vݯn{t)RJw&{Y;nޝ4B*}A03w쭵^`xM{+ik?O^={_.i"P0,SJfXtE GܱnOWg1WI*<\_^M.ZfrH8Tb1`YA4sխyluc^Z=XXT%1_h8v䪍9;K'˥bkgRqg[;-l7EN.41թԊ]ZIi~VSv[+;Xo iէ|^|9}-2&=T~Mڍđ-317B: T?yEpR٩6֎ֺ',jxOT!).WMQҝޜ"~J6rS.zp:E%Kdk[O}tf^[%{= R[g}’8oUuS'쬚}-+-rZ1IFh&ٴgIZ^]DMF07|J>1@ck/?x@K ֵRe1&jx:ZU=[KZ=`CӭRmb0=ծ=/~WkIɟk6/Oj(*⿄,f1}؅m&IVmiuO[Iyqps{WJMj5NofK~ ˻af_/ kc3H6~E[Vw}c{jno6+ZynP AF۹%ܻf,Br7h٫uOVhȬJHJI#%H>aa! 8RQvUQlJhvu $rαDTX:h _KI5xݻvݛ{/+CI++-]oKwX?e\/f*,T**#0$EW_d}m7n+YMtrcvBc&(єyW%NfrEd_fO˫Eli枿~=_Qe?/g^ę,ij[xo6 ]JEK-j{8$o܎vZ=rz'^xty/uys%}}QZXuqjk:{][IBj^/tWMcv:zK:D mhBB>V0JpZw9T\tݩ&VxJu'+(6}oD]N.?)\gQX|CysmGRvgW'BP)h}WYJ?﮷׾|N-CZ6RѣH *P|a3Ĩ M1}>tUneȓQ!ex֥6k]ezPaIE3"NĔdn"_TD zs>69;7j7I$eҳ)^^ɩhףvG/dٌvӗ<$ ;@[r&5ܪ^.3ɾZNk{ͨ8>E;}uߙ]>Rfyi{u{[Gy#dʾN>Vp<n7 pʤw秛ũ5˯FՓѾ}z|!INk_TvwG니xaGmo++&yHVfDe vp\]-vw~I_oMg~0w4t嵙7}"ɹO W wx!%' ' ip6RҌ]mݻڶqùB;7}mkMtՇ "uk܂@̢BHrv~P1G"ЧR>V.Zs7+{fk ?t}mGuj܋ӈA~=E.Qp@8$ķ?(.h*M*hҶٻZ E#ni(k7W|[X" :2B 0'#r0NbӊV,3IZTݭIIygնI5M)S,/ummRZ$M>]J{'i]wZi6 5]#MVTwv:atܩBSq}U릪Wk>-Y'gmIo Dݬ_Z2p1O{8i/.U[v)im-ozew:MBsp9ڬ0A?Kޚ?V_^M2h|H($ݜAМUGNە뭆쬿]%;]⌝෗C;`h?.89ZוFWknKKZzkeVLyC媁F@r1גkٴKmYv^``1L*$t9P鿟_O&5/y-mO-AtVB$—<AFABWw}[wE[ϣ_嵟lUcb$PsӐI+in]wۮNvm/>wKm~yo/᧎eY2_gk]H88 ddD Ev`)Uoe%(.ګtiLֶiC;-]g}q{i^e%Uk8KUk;əA -` ؼj8U'$e.YEZEd>wf7S,үFZ3RM]է%ei+tO4Np\:%Zeo>k+;.gl$ϳ<2eU~6 .Ftڞ&oxh?f<&EY1FjTf*r0)$PH;\,qUb>GbXT#S|nw{y.Jta^2NɭW)$i-X5Q.PHz**0@+ ʥ҂{&lnGENIMlm'/vGT`(HC)wd8b2@9g N0[\nlY5v}iqPiik&vya$:vn)m]ko F "JvW|}]#)b$W#n˚M;-lV2Vg9bNpI&kŧhq傍w=`Zp3,cpTr \$UGn:NOKw\ %C۳掝emOE{%o<\-&2mrwƻ,BR:$*mLxr;lU4SZg[)iBgFIHr)[i;^JWjq@;`n.-&[.0YjqoO9R!8Tqn }'SU]uvnF]\ȸm~l3 I;H5^keZˮֺ>rVRZr/K۫m%r͵d,M$t*ebrq{_ien^/-lzߪ[[DުO+;8Q![UlRhb0ͺr3gz~/v[t[$=5 Rҕ|EE)KOM'wו(i\xnM,g Ȁmo\#ng|n NG$IܷMwJ֬Ntm}+ޯT%x[~ dnu}J{SkVV"ɯQ _(9(¦Uu=wS&o*Tan, but his 1915 violin sonata is an agreeable four-movement piece with a Franckian first-movement Fantaisie et choral, a song-like slow movement and two bouncy final movements. Also included are half a dozen salon-style pieces for violin and piano. Mid-price. Claude Collet (piano), Franck Della Valle (violin). Pavane ADW 7429 (Belgium) 03B043 $10.98

RICHARD STRAUSS (1864-1949): Gavotte in F, Serenade in E Flat, Op. 7 (arr. composer), Stimmungsbilder, Op. 9, STRAUSS/WALTER GIESEKING (1895-1956): Ständchen, Op. 17/2, Heimkehr, Op. 15/5, Freundliche Vision, Op. 48/1, Winterweihe, Op. 48/4, Schlechtes Wetter, Op. 69/5, STRAUSS/MAX REGER (1873-1916): Morgen, Op. 27/4, Ich trage meine Minne, Op. 32/1, Du meines Herzens Krönelein, Op. 21/2, STRAUSS/OTTO SINGER (1863-1931): Waltzes from Der Rosenkavalier. Reger's three (of twelve) arrangements are in the style of Clara Schumann or Kirchner - no pianistic additions, with the singing voice being worked into the piano accompaniment as well as possible. Gieseking's pieces, however, uses octave transpositions and virtuosi enrichments. Singer also eschews embellishments, providing the charm of the orignal waltzes for home and salon use. Sascha Zolotarev (piano). Fermate FER 20027 (Germany) 03B044 $16.98

MAX REGER (1873-1916): Piano Works, Vol. 8 - Aus meinem Tagebuch, Op. 82, Vols. 1 & 3. Markus Becker (piano). Thorofon CTH 2318 (Germany) 03B045 $16.98

MAX REGER (1873-1916): Piano Works, Vol. 9 - Aus meinem Tagebuch, Op. 82, Vols. 2 & 4. Markus Becker (piano). Thorofon CTH 2319 (Germany) 03B046 $16.98

The first two volumes of Reger's "From My Diary" date from 1904 and the second two from 1911. Both are sets of character pieces intended as "serious domestic music" which are still full of Reger's characteristic compositional peculiarities. Mood pictures of an unusual, intriguing kind...

MIECZYSLAW KARLOWICZ (1876-1909): Complete Songs, FRANCIS POULENC (1899-1963): 8 Chansons polonaises, Mazurka, FRÉdÉRIC CHOPIN (1810-1849): 6 Songs. Karlowicz' entire song output amounted to only 22 items, all composed by the time he was 22. Dominated by a Slavic yearning and melancholy, they speak mostly of love lost or never found. Poulenc's 1934 cycle , dedicated to the cream of the Polish diaspora in Paris, manages a variety of styles within the poems' strophic constraints; his 1949 Mazurka, dedicated to the Polish bass Doda Conrad, is the longest piece here (at just over four minutes.) Mid-price. Polish-French texts. Sophie de Tillesse (mezzo), Jean-Yves Sebillotte (piano). Pavane ADW 7427 (Belgium) 03B047 $10.98

French (and one surprising American) works for Organ & Orchestra

HORATIO PARKER (1863-1919): Organ Concerto in E Flat Minor, Op. 55, JOSEPH JONGEN (1873-1953): Alleluja for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 112, Hymne for Organ and Orchestra, Op. 78, CHARLES-MARIE WIDOR (1844-1937): Symphony in G Minor for Organ and Large Orchestra, Op. 42. The American Horatio Parker stands out among the French on this and the following release; his 1902 concerto has a rather Elgarian first movement while the German romantics hover over the second and the delicate third is reminiscent of some of Vierne's light movements while the finale begins and ends in Wagnerian splendor. Widor's three-movement symphony was cobbled together on commission in 1882,using movements from his sixth (the outer movements) and second organ symphonies. Jongen's two pieces, dating from 1924 and 1940 respectively provide just what their titles might suggest. Franz Hauk (Klais organ in Ingolstadt Liebfrauenmünster), Ingolstadt Philharmonic; Alfredo Ibarra. Guild GMCD 7182 (England) 03B048 $16.98

CHARLES GOUNOD (1818-1893): Suite concertante, Fantaisie sur l'Hymne National Russe, THÉODORE DUBOIS (1837-1924): Fantaisie triomphale, ALEXANDRE GUILMANT (1837-1911): Adoration, EUGÈNE GIGOUT (1844-1925): Grand Chur Dialogué. More serene-to-thundering high Romanticism from the French 19th century; the Gounod pieces were originally composed for pedal piano but their adaptation for organ follows a tradition which was common already at that time while Ropartz orchestrated Gigout's solo organ piece and Guilmant did the same for his own work. Franz Hauk (Klais organ in Ingolstadt Liebfrauenmünster), Ingolstadt Philharmonic; Alfredo Ibarra. Guild GMCD 7185 (England) 03B049 $16.98

JULES MASSENET (1842-1912): Roma. Dating from 1912, Roma is Massenet's penultimate opera and is set in 216 B.C. after the Roman debacle of Cannae. Oddly, a different character predominates in each of the five acts, allowing Massenet to present the city, legend and concept of Rome as the work's main character. Although it dropped from sight shortly after its (successful) premiere, Roma has much to recommend it including the tenor's aria which opens Act III which compares with Le Cid's Ô souverain... and the tenor-soprano duet shortly afterwards which can compare with similar duets in Werther, Thaïs and Manon. 2 CDs. French-English libretto. Iano Tamar (soprano), Svetlana Arginbaeva (contralto), Warren Mok (tenor), Bratislava Chamber Choir, Italian National Orchestra; Marco Guidarini. Dynamic CDS 267/1-2 (Italy) 03B050 $35.98

PIETRO MASCAGNI (1863-1945): Le maschere. Premiered simultaneously in six Italian cities on Jan. 17, 1901, Le maschere was Mascagni and his librettist Illica's attempt to revive the genre of the commedia dell'arte and the fact that it was a signal failure with critics and audiences alike should not obscure the courage of the attempt. Mascagni cut the orchestra to 50 players, cast away the omnipresent polyphony then present in Italian opera and returned to outmoded duets, trios and concertatos, composing everything with the utmost sense of proportion and harmony and allowing the voices to rule the stage with an abundance of simple, attractive melodies. This 1988 staging allows a reappraisal. 2 CDs. Italian-English libretto. Amelia Felle (soprano), Maria José Gallego (soprano), Carlos Chausson (bass), Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Commuale di Bologna; Gianluigi Gelmetti. BMG Ricordi RFCD 2004 (Italy) 03B051 $37.98

ISIDORO CAPITANIO (1874-1944): Pasqua fiorentina. Capitanio, unknown to The New Grove and to Opera Grove, wrote only this single opera although he had quite a career as a chamber instrumentalist and composer of sacred music. Completed in 1934 and set in early 14th century Florence, the plot is a familiar one with a cuckolded husband plotting revenge against his wife's lover(s). Capitanio's music is eclectic; a student of all periods of musical history, his complex stylistic mix may not be innovative but it is engagingly personal (and there is more than a hint of Debussy) among other 20th century composers. 2 CDs. Italian-English libretto. Anna Maria Chiuri (soprano), Massimiliano Fichera (baritone), Orchestra and Chorus of the Laboratorio del Teatro Marrucino di Chieti; Vittorio Parisi. Bongiovanni GB 2240/41-2 (Italy) 03B052 $33.98

FRANCHETTI - Symphony in E Minor

ALBERTO FRANCHETTI (1860-1942): Symphony in E Minor, Impressione sinfonica: Nella Foresta nera, RUGGERO LEONCAVALLO (1857-1919): Overture to Rolando di Berlino, Intermezzo and Scherzo from Chatterton, Intermezzo from Zingari. Franchetti's 1884 symphony unites full-bodied Italian melodic flow with Germanic tastes to produce a fine, connoisseur-only symphony, coupled with a batch of unknown/unheard Leocavallo operatic excerpts to finish with a full CD of unknown, unheard Italian symphonic repertore to make any CD collector rejoice! Moldova Symphony Orchestra; Silvano Frontalini. Bongiovanni GB 2216 (Italy) 03B053 $16.98

MARCO ENRICO BOSSI (1861-1925): Intermezzi Goldoniani, Op. 127, RENZO BOSSI (1883-1965): Ricrezaioni di musiche di Marco Enrico Bossi, Ricrezaioni di antiche musiche italiane. Inspired not only by Goldoni but also by a more generic Venetian spirit, the elder Bossi provides a suite of archaic music touched by late 19th century Romanticism. Bossi's son, Renzo, provided a set of "Recreations" in 1956 which add modern touches to father's melodies; the 1913 "Old Italian Music" pieces offer early 20th-century recreations of 16th and 17th century Italian music. Orchestra "La Consorterie"; Emmanuel Siffert. Agora AG 213 (Italy) 03B054 $18.98

HENRI VIEUXTEMPS (1820-1881): 6 Morceaux de salon, Op. 22, Voix du cur, Op. 53. All violin collectors will want this ingeniously programmed disc: the op. 22 pieces date from 1847 and are in a youthful, world-conquering, fearing-no-difficulty style. A tarentelle and a "storm" close the set with onomatapoeic sparks but even the set's rêverie has a turbulently impassioned central section. Dating from 30 years later, after Vieuxtemps was forced to retire from performing and went to live in Algeria to compose full-time, the "Cries of the Heart" offer nine pieces with such titles as Tendresse, Mélancolie, Rêve and Interrogation - the performer has said good-bye to the footlights and, as composer, deals in matters more profound and reflective (and ultimately, more involving too!). Philippe Koch (violin), Luc Devos (piano). Cyprès CYP 3613 (Belgium) 03B055 $18.98

ALEXANDER BORODIN (1833-1887): Piano Quintet in C Minor, String Trio in G (unfinished), ANTONÍN DVO¤ÁK (1841-1904): Piano Quartet, Op. 87. Over half the playing time of this disc is devoted to rare Borodin: the string trio was left incomplete in 1862 - a work in which Romanticism is still rather far off. The piano quintet dates from the same year and was composed in Italy; this is wholly Romantic in nature with several folk-like themes and a marvellously lively spirit running throughout its three-movement course. St. Petersburg Chamber Players. Guild GMCD 7179 (England) 03B056 $16.98

FERDINAND RIES (1784-1838): Introduction and Rondo in E Flat for Horn and Piano, Op. 113/2, JOSEF RHEINBERGER (1839-1901): Horn Sonata in E Flat, Op. 178, RICHARD STRAUSS (1864-1949): Horn Concerto No. 1 in E Flat, Op. 11, ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856): Adagio and Allegro in A Flat, Op. 70. Horn collectors will want to make the acquaintance of Ries' 1824 piece, opening in gloomy intensity and ending in virtuosic abandon; Stauss' first concerto was premiered in its piano form. Michael Höltzel (horn), Friedrich Wilhelm Schnurr (piano). MD&G 324 0908-2 (Germany) 03B057 $17.98

LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN (1770-1827)/FRANZ LISZT (1811-1886): Symphony No. 2 in D, Symphony No. 5 in C Minor. Volume 15 of Naxos' sporadic complete Liszt series brings the first volume of the Beethoven symphony transcriptions and fans of this pianist, who has done yeoman service for Marco Polo on the virtuoso transcription front will welcome his readings of these pieces. Konstantin Scherbakov (piano). Naxos 8.550457 (New Zealand) 03B058 $5.98

HERMANN GOETZ (1840-1876): Sonata in G Minor, Op. 17, ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856): 12 vierhändige Klavierstücke für kleine und grosse Kinder, Op. 85, FELIX MENDELSSOHN (1809-1847): Allegro brillante, Op. 92. Rare Schumann and Mendelssohn are joined by the nearly-as-rare four-hand sonata by Goetz. Schumann's work (1849) was a sequel to his Album für die Jugend of 1848 although its series of songs and marches is more reminiscent of his wildly popular Kinderszenen. Mendelssohn's 1841 piece conjures up the fairy-world of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Timothy & Nancy LeRoi Nickel (duo pianists). Arsis CD 114 (U.S.A.) 03B059 $16.98

The Creole Romantics on Naxos

EDMOND DÉDÉ (1827-1901): Music from Françoise et Tortillard, Chicago (2 versions), Mephisto Masqué (2 versions), Tond les chiens, coup' les chats, Mirliton fin de siècle, Rêverie champêtre, En chasse, Battez aux champs, El Pronunciamento, Cora la Bordelaise, Mon pauvre cur, Mon Sous Off!, Mon Sous Off!cier. The Dédé family flourished in New Orleans and, later, in Paris, pioneering the cross-cultural musical language which served as a link between European concert muisc, ragtime and jazz. This disc has orchestral pieces, solo piano pieces, songs and brief cantatas of all stripes which will appeal to anyone who enjoys the music of Gottschalk and Sousa. French-English texts. Hot Springs Music Festival; Richard Rosenberg. Naxos 8.559038 (New Zealand) 03B060 $5.98

CHARLES LUCIÈN LAMBERT SR. (c.1828-1896): Bresiliana, L'Amazone, Op. 67, Le Castillian, L'Américaine, Le Calabrais, Op. 39, Variations et final sur l'air "Au Clair de la Lune", Op. 30, LUCIÈN-LÉON GUILLAUME LAMBERT JR. (1858-1945): Ouverture de Brocéliande, Hymnis, Esqusses créoles sur des thèmes recueillis par L.M. Gottschalk, Prélude, Fugue & Postlude, Chants d'oiseaux. Another family belonging to the "Creole Romantic" musical dynasties of New Orleans: Lambert Sr.'s piano dances are characterized by catchy rhythms, including the bolero while his son's music reflects more sophisticated tastes with a passionate and melodically distinguished overture, and an elaborate solo piano Prélude, fugue et postlude which could pass for Busoni or early Hindemith. Hot Springs Music Festival; Richard Rosenberg. Naxos 8.559037 (New Zealand) 03B061 $5.98

ANTON RUBINSTEIN (1829-1894): Kamennïy-Ostrov, Vol. 2 - Nos. 13-24. The second half of young Rubinstein's series of portraits of the court of Russian Grand Duchess Elena Pavlovna, with their eclectic generic mix and influences from Mendessohn and Schumann to Field, Moscheles and Kalkbrenner. Joseph Banowetz (piano). Marco Polo 8.223847 (New Zealand) 03B062 $14.98

ABBÉ VOGLER (1749-1814): Aria from Erwin und Elmire, OTTO NICOLAI (1810-1849): Variazioni concertanti, Op. 26 from "Rosmonda", FRANTISEK SKROUP (1801-1862): Aria from Libuse, BERNHARD CRUSELL (1775-1838): Aria from Lilla Slafinnen, LUDWIG SPOHR (1784-1859): Aria from Faust, JOHANN NEPOMUK FREIHERR VON POISSL (1783-1865): Recitative and Aria from Athalia, FRANZ SCHUBERT (1797-1828): Romance from Die Verschworenen, WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART (1756-1791): Aria from La Clemenza di Tito. An enchanting collection of little-known, clarinet-accompanied opera arias from the Romantic period. German-English texts. Isolde Siebert (soprano), Dieter Klöcker (clarin~iK'R)6.Kή{߰~-[ˎFT]ͭݟūKc%m㫯Z(+oFS%ά.sZJ.M%^?RiKQ{Wv'R01F-w!"ѰKPdsk5)Yk6TV-*_++ۦ/[.YL-̒m$R@TwUnEkwwcUzOeZ .x{TgU}&U5 ̠]<+C^Hmo5̦{)n/|^+۶۝x]M=^_ w(rSmjTU c_tOShp$viu} !Ӽ9s)u,ޥx//oahHGBV|$#oӄW;/{K[M%nk-k{+kdgݰJ6NzP1r~[{w;oD?DUG&3&%xaF܁Ӂ&kg1EoOC&Z@$TmP'2}q[OK;kֿ%ɿ?2+L8m. q,9ϭ[t[ZYiUZ@\A LhcU]K>ջ{޷d+_m[fe=dUnV]p$bABQ W{Z2Z/lVݍ9pC1}z4wm.ꕒ>m6i~Zvh%yٍB7D~bQ9*z6qRףKnSKIKr { X,#b{bV{neK"Z]9M M~716:\:htiiɬIa.I]f<۝[ Tc̯{'M6(=km? ZUwXMgEf1}XDX\EQQ'NTGGk7ms$ZUaEvrv++[6csZmky᷇U+Y.vcP*$}&"& K}uRt*ӮMIJ>nҴ^pdhp2LL_4烫-T௬hֽ(*TmJ] ;Y)+$@9Kq2M, :WTVtgNpM5]i:jBTSݜRz']$fQ#GAsc+CYV+-,z,usM,s9+MFU5""Xm&'!]U=_Gg_ M)ԦMy_d}_N18:RVZ\v^jEҢ)4#Q] , Kw(+Rۊm_]EZ+&/y$ݒ謊UJT*AR8 CJֶXM+4֏Fḁ_5]ɒ 썋˨[%l m~74Nw*qԠ蕗$ZIhS?e(ZTӓ& $e%(C.S80?S^?vo)ыfvѝ UoɰƧ#3h,luQ$\DqE[\G8bOB{&.K[wJyTԕm[_o'\֗7_hz͕s5܀Aa:Zy.BqWpU,Fz-I;7k맑,Rn/K-[xmPX|h"zm[/#!ŷf<`鿪bU~^H7++J7inIK<\;rJ\+׳zZ%U߁)AR7RZϨxV]B+ I:-axfdf2b9n?au#&zTRzW1VU!T^#6Tq^0O}_BmPl< @&X}NeI%DWG,tβl 295sKK{j)^ٷbUѫET9J)4)jvoM4>S~ҿ>{|ƺ嗉ei6;>&׵v_.eW6}Kx|7E4i%}R8:=>ir$nnKEK߳.h'uö֙i[7!x+Bhm(5]zfܬLZ3g<^ xxn֯mY^V8En)lվii?߂~O~g`n<k^-́#*x3N#Ylw W⌣ O ovKv"{]螆R,|ҔZWj-Z]{wgi_dZ&\x|04k$m8}[wV[į©<cmDSVri(jw8b+uqSi%ek٥z-[=#B=|y9༲N Bw !ԭ4ehʐɒHMfBSq}_m/EK.'U(?TkieO~ex]iHŚ\i~s{#!M5LbX,X2jpM NSU 6􊍝ە~ㄊnEEt鵞4?J.EGҬ[[[THdk]W8D%['ճqNܩhZ1IY|1QJ;4"NY b#PIy$gR^[j-o/4Y!BH;ϴg&˲mmlKM>WBrXrAH`9#3hzꝬ֋w_w֖KNVÔ^(2H EAfA֩gW]H|WeJQĨV/uⅳ]VmVkb d]21 i]VR68|Ur)>|iEV` +F ##ksHNk-lZtox*rppvݾ9f4xOrdYsSkT%<ƾua4کJQnE^왌y+-s5~U|4_-_Ku/ahLKtn5m97yZA^=숆 eӕ&41_1HOT~d{^W|aNK*Mo5}nJq2!-EܡW'5Y TՊj+w佹ZעzqM/\t۪]-It s}M};3 EӸ+*$Kg<-ۿTV]dCnW}kkղGʬ݄HZ-#B#¼bv{ik~UoZ-vFTDP #dp@pG|8)\tUO;\q[GNߞ"\d'%$)U;@>r[r{yt{ɽ{!hX wV#rd#@ky=ۥe͂OU˷B~fƀ7##OWy=8VˢTKO/2 u64p<\ o h%xCP 8tTv讛{-Q4}ZYk~ ?"k_¾&3=WWzzJkeKX7e_(3)<8l7hՌjrѩ%ui&mY{(Jjl֖}?'?_xCMY'=^͵νh]ݓ|mȢD;u0K BpJ3Sj5'bl[9]URO8.ɻ^KWw 1xDZx_ˮ[ٝG9|G>'^|bn>^Tet), SWF Symphony Orchestra Baden-Baden; Klaus Donath. Koch Schwann Musica Mundi 3-6712-2 (Germany) 03B063 $6.98

The Latest Rautavaara:

EINOJUHANI RAUTAVAARA (b.1928): Piano Concerto No. 3 "Gift of Dreams", Autumn Gardens. Collectors of the late period works of this popular Finnish composer will need no urging to acquire this new release which includes a 13-minute conversation between the composer and Ashkenzy along with the 1998 concerto (written for the soloist here) and the 1999 Autumn Gardens. The latter is a three-movement orchestral suite but, like the piano concerto, has the same rapt, luminous, otherworldly quality of such works as the Angel series, Anadyomene or On the Last Frontier. Without going anywhere near the world of minimalism, Rautavaara manages to infuse his pieces, and thus the listener, with a sense of calm rapture which can rise to peaks of moderate intensity without disturbing its glistening surface and which can perhaps best be described by the oxymoron of "gossamer strength". Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano). Ondine ODE 950 (Finland) 03B064 $17.98

DOMINICK ARGENTO (b.1927): Valentino Dances, Reverie: Reflections on a Hymn Tune , Le Tombeau d' Edgar Poe for Tenor and Orchestra, Valse Triste, A Ring of Time. The muscular, full-blooded dance suite based on the composer's opera The Dream of Valentino has something of Rimsky-Korsakov, something of Ravel, something of Hollywood (as one would expect, given the subject) in a big, glamorous spectacle of a piece which, with the intrusion of accordion interjections and arabesques begins at times to suggest a sort of healtthy-minded Astor Piazzolla. The other works, especially the marvellously evocative suite after the Edgar Allen Poe opera, are to the same high standard, and combine a thorugh craftsmanship with a sense of showmanship and generosity of utterance that is most appealing in an age of musical abstraction or specialisation. Tonal, opulent and sonically magnificent, this is a disc to enjoy on many levels, of which unabashed wallowing is only one of the more obvious. Chad Shelton (tenor), Minnesota Orchestra; Eiji Oue. Reference Recordings RR-91 (U.S.A.) 03B065 $17.98

DANIEL ASIA (b.1953): Symphony No. 1, Symphony No. 4, At the Far Edge. These are powerful works of great distinction and character. The earlier work is more dissonant, and more concerned with orchestral effects, while the Fourth has a more neoclassical feel. This is not to say that Asia has ever been a truly atonal composer - even his more dissonant textures are employed more for coloristic effect than as a structural device. The first symphony has something in common with Berg's orchestral music, lyrical and passionate always; the later music has more in common with neoclassical Stravinsky, though with less emphasis on deliberately making a point about simplicity and concision, and more romantically emotional content. New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; James Sedares. Summit DCD 256 (U.S.A.) 03B066 $17.98

CARTER PANN (b.1972): Piano Concerto, Deux séjours, Dance Partita, 2 Portraits of Barcelona. Winningly lighthearted and eclectic, this young composer's music brims with joie de vivre and enthusiasm for musical styles and influences freshly encountered and absorbed, or presented to be commented on. His orchestration is bold and colorful; his use of idioms thoroughly associated with Debussy, or popular styles, or "light" music, or Gershwinesque jazz, or classical models, lend a reassuring sense of the familiar, and often the humorous to his tonal, entertaining music, always accessible and lively. Barry Snyder (piano), Czech State Philharmonic, Brno; José Serebrier. Naxos 8.559043 (New Zealand) 03B067 $5.98

KRZYSZTOF PENDERECKI (b.1933): Orchestral Works, Vol. 3 - Symphony No. 2, Symphony No. 4. The second symphony, known as the Christmas Symphony (from its motivic use of the melody known here as Silent Night) dates from 1980 and represents the furthest point of Penderecki's exploration of neo-romantic idioms which so shocked his avant-garde followers beginning with his first symphony and violin concerto. While the fourth symphony (1989) still uses a predominantly tonal language, a certain emotional ambivalence and grimly ironic mood lie at the heart of work which continues the composer's fascination for exploring the possibilites of orchestral sound colors. National Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra; Antoni Wit. Naxos 8.554492 (New Zealand) 03B068 $5.98

BORIS TISHCHENKO (b.1939): Cello Concerto No. 1 (orch. Shostakovich), DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH (1906-1975): Overture to the Opera Der arme Columbus, 2 Preludes (orch. Schnittke), ROBERT SCHUMANN (1810-1856): Cello Concerto in A Minor (orch. Shostakovich). Tishchenko's first cello concerto (1963) is a single-movement, nearly 30-minute long piece which begins with a 6-minute cadenza for the soloist. The composer orchestrated it for brass, percussion and harmonium; his teacher Shostakovich made Tishchenko a 30th birthday present of a less radical accompaniment using a more traditional string-based orchestra. More radical, of course, was Shostakovich's re-orchestration of Schumann's concerto which brings a 20th century unease and edginess to the work, with especially prominent use of a solo trumpet. The Schnittke orchestrations and the short Shostakovich overture (from 1929) receive their premiere recordings here. Alexander Ivashkin (cello), Russian State Symphony Orchestra; Valeri Polyanski. Chandos 9792 (England) 03B069 $16.98

CLAUDE DEBUSSY (1862-1918) ERNEST ANSERMET (1883-1969): 6 epigraphes antiques, DEBUSSY (1862-1918) /ANDRÉ CAPLET (1878-1925): Suite bergamasque, (1862-1918), DEBUSSY (1862-1918) /ANDRÉ CAPLET(1878-1925): Pagodes, DEBUSSY (1862-1918) HENRI BUSSET (1872-1973): La Puerta del Vino, CLAUDE DEBUSSY/EMIL DE COU: Printemps - Suite Symphonique. A fabulous disc of Debussy transcriptions in first CD (and world premiere) recordngs which will warm the hearts of any Impressionistic collector. San Francisco Ballet Orchestra; Emil de Cou. Arabesque Z6734 (U.S.A) 03B070 $16.98


More MFA Imports from Radio France

as usual - quantities limited and back-orders subject to demand

PHILIPPE FÉNELON (b.1952): Halley for Piano, Omaggio for Solo Violin, Zabak for Percussion, 2 épigrammes for Double Bass, Harp and Percussion, Épilogue for Piano, Notti for Voice and Double Bass, Les Combats nocturnes for Piano and Percussion. These works form a kind of travelogue with diversions - a musical parallel to the literary works of Sacheverell Sitwell, in scope if not in style. The Ommaggi refer to the war-damaged Tiepoli frescoes in Verona, with digressions on the theme of memory. Zabak, with its use of many ethnic percussion instruments from Africa and South America, evokes the idea of travel both to foreign cultures and through the earliest centuries of music history. The other works, all played on conventional concert instruments, are in a loosely serial language with sounds and textures that may recall Stockhausen at times, Berio at others. Greek mythology is the inspiration for Les combats nocturnes, a highly active and incisive pair of works for piano and percussion, while Halley and Epilogue, for piano, refer to the wanderings of the comet, and suggest a postscript to Stockhausen's Klavierstücke. Florent Boffard (piano), Florent Jodelet (percussion), Maryvonne Le Dizès (violin), Sylvie Beltrando (harp), Joëlle Léandre (voice, double bass). MFA 216015 (France) 03B071 $18.98

JEAN PRODROMIDÈS: Goya. Written in the year of the 250th anniversary of the birth of the great Spanish painter, this opera is a study of the opposition of the innovative artist to the repressive nature of the world, be it via the medium of religious dogma, politics, or natural catastrophe, and the way in which these adversities may liberate or stimulate the creative impulse. While obviously in a modern idiom, the music is by no means inaccessible, with characterisations strongly delineated and a powerful sense of narrative within the tableaux from the artist's life and the fantastical elaborations illustrative of his state of mind and creativity at various stages of his career. 2 CDs. French-English libretto. René Massis, Marie-Stéphane Bernard, Alain Vernhes, Montpellier Opera Chorus, Montpellier Philharmonic Orchestra; Claude Schnitzler. MFA 216018/20 (France) 03B072 $37.98

GUY REIBEL (b.1936): Rabelais ou la naissance du verbe for Percussion and Voice. Well, the music isn't as side-splittingly, bawdily funny as the work on which it is based - but that is hardly a legitimate criticism. Reibel has set the nonsense-trial scene from "Pantagruel" for three performers who play percussion instuments and perform the text. By subtitling the work "the birth of the word", Reibel suggests the idea of Rabelais' torrential word-salad as a form of music, and presented in this way, as music theatre, sung, chanted, muttered, flung around between the performers in fragments and illustrated and accompanied by percussion gestures, it certainly succeeds as such. Trio Le Cercle - Percussion Théâtre. MFA 216002 (France) 03B073 $18.98

THIERRY BLONDEAU: Ein und aus, Ici et là I, Vis à vis, Plötzlich, Ici et là II, Ups and Downs. Whether writing for ensembles or for instruments and electroacoustic treatments, Blondeau has a fascination with timbre, and with imitative textures, in which little shaped fragments of sound are repeated to make up a larger texture, like the little abstract patterns which reveal themselves to be elements of a large form in a Chuck Close portrait, or one of those clever computer-generated portraits made up of little pictures of the subject of different colors and values, used as pixels. Blondeau's little sound-pixels are assembled into a pattern that, while remaining abstract, is definitely more than the sum of its parts. compagnie Zigzag, Ensemble Court-circuit; Pierre-André Valade, Cécile Daroux (flute), Armand Angster (clarinet). MFA 216013 (France) 03B074 $18.98

HUGUES DUFOURT (b.1943): Sombre Journée, BETSY JOLAS (b.1926): O Wall, DRAKE MABRY (b.1950): Cristal, JACQUES LEJEUNE (b.1940): Clin d'il à Jean de La Fontaine, GÉRARD CONDÉ: Infusoires, ROBERT PASCAL: Des rives de lumière, JOSÉ LUIS CAMPANA: Noctal 2 & 3, PHILIPPE HERSANT (b.1948): Nachtgesang, ALAIN GAUSSIN: Ogive, CHRISTOPHE HAVEL: Aer, GILLES RACOT: Tact, TRISTAN MURAIL (b.1947): Mémoire-érosion. With the ambitious aim of celebrating French contemporary music in a kind of fin de siècle summary, this set is the first of 3 planned to explore the overall subject by presenting diverse - very diverse - ensembles, performing music written for them or exploiting their particular sonorities. Inasmuch as the 20th century has seen a great deal of diversification and simultaneously, specialisation in ensembles - the evolution of the orchestra has to some extent (fortunately not wholly) given way to the emergence of the "special" ensemble, this kind of collection gives a valuable insight into the development of one tributary of 20th century music. Thus we have music for percussion ensemble; for wind ensemble, for saxophone ensemble, voice ensemble (the Singcircle idea - here it's Résonance contemporaine) and for odd mixtures of voices and instruments that have only really become imaginable since the 1950s. The diversity of sounds is remarkable. Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain, Les Percussions de Strasbourg, Proxima Centauri, Ensemble Trion II, Ensemble TM+ and other artists. MFA 216021 (France) 03B075 $37.98

RICHARD WILSON (b.1941): Symphony No. 1, Gnomics for Flute, Oboe and Clarinet, Tribulations for Mezzo-Soprano and Piano, Viola Sonata. Wilson is not a "fashionable" composer, in that he makes no apparent effort either to fit in with, nor to rebel against, prevailing musical trends. The symphony is a traditionally structured work in which symphonic arguments are played out in alternating active and contemplative movements, with a powerful sense of dramatic ebb and flow. The slow movement, "Contemplation" is the emotional heart of the work, long-breathed, though not reposeful - whatever is being contemplated here is not all that reassuring. The songs have a sly humor, and a Bolcomesque sense of sophisticated entertainment. The lyrical sonata is soulful, yet not lacking in drama or meaningful dialogue between the instruments. New Zealand SO; James Sedares, Randy Bowman (flute), Laura Ahlbeck (oboe), Laura Flax (clarinet), Mary Ann Hart (mezzo), Richard Wilson (piano), Misha Amory (viola), Blanca Uribe (piano). Koch International Classics 7483 (U.S.A.) 02B076 $16.98

AUBERT LEMELAND (b.1932): Time Landscapes, for Soprano and Orchestra, Op. 153, Excerpts from Airmen, Op. 159 for Soprano, Reciter, Harp and Strings, Songs for the Dead Soldiers, Op. 156 for Soprano and Strings, Épilogue (An American War Requiem), Op. 164 for Soprano, Choir, Harp and Strings. These songs with orchestral accompaniment are beautifully written, and have a directly communicative eloquence which is at once touching and profound. The music has a deceptive appearance of simplicity on first acquaintance; lush and gently melancholy as it may appear, there is a bittersweet quality that suddenly turns just a fraction further in the direction of bitterness - no, this is not a composer who has rediscovered some 'true' direction for 20th-century music; such a suggestion belittles him. He is a composer of understatedly powerful music in a tradition worthy of great honor, transporting music of immediacy and drama. Carole Farley (soprano), Staatsorchester Rheinische Philharmonie; José Serebrier, Instrumental Ensemble of Grenoble; Marc Tardue. Skarbo D SK 5994 (France) 03B077 $16.98

GEORGY DMITRIEV (b.1942): Kiev - Symphonic Chronicle, On Kulikovo Field (Symphony No. 2), Episodes in the Nature of a Fresco for Violin and Orchestra, Misterioso (Symphony No. 3). If you like big, bold, evocative, serious large-scale Russian orchestral music, you won't even need to read to the end of this sentence before deciding that this CD belongs in your collection. Dmitriev is so good at this sort of thing that the suspicious-minded might even start trying to detect elements of parody, or the deliberate 1հuhP8]?g)j/+G(VGo<x3pJIutOt}#Eu[O>,{T[qiLUpkm$`)csE΅)JyRIE9F<}j,QMtjٴ  _^?ht}/ƗZ&;8"m|S:ͅ\M^Cr^ x#qy92o-I)וZ;PWRw/l9c9{:j1-&ث&ijޯKqo&ɠ&c?Ao$M3~,8]vOT?=a .J`UKzx8&WO[Ik[q6̵m֛}=:y? YmEtQff5cup̶חYo1f,3\Si+ъWj6UwMRv-~K}=Xm4""8!KxV8@()O]o{ޞ#Him-m߷ yLx//,vJ 8KuWImm?۵mm6Zko%t~oYU,)v c9P9#Or~~Z۾oIK4pG1oU 1ӓZ>XvEt}ޟ+Z^)%[|w3JO7aAZqtV+[bmgJtS~46`Y sQWkK-Z+og~/m߶z+t͵#fU4*'!0z8WoD_Kj;(0c* Ik}oTJﺲk+|ʾimYf?Rku &'PHIBt Z]7I5k,*&}wVnVnc |Rմmmw:߆K'(d ̟FW^Z3TFI֍J]B֏WmRi_{]J\[,k{j\\];K2v[Zh<idO丼["TSjM7)+I{tuq+TӧkY5*0ӎrKRSm_We(hfHDT6g:%ew 8-?Br6>ΜUڼe9{JUj~1%`3Qj'KU4S8r?*Iamaj>Ȋk_O^, }?C6쩬JUVӋVVJqMEZ*a*jөvK>zKh~-z4嵭Ϻey2VdgWd@Ρ4"Ue5*FT.7Yioh=n=-{#pc;r'[µ^jf{=:YY[߾JѩV2;! pgbGL-r&rVkk+Ytm}Y~mG6F򙙊Bw'~7+%O#e/bEts7 ¨dRS@%[eۦ=H趿߶fRɇ#;B'(/uiMhv|ooȟ N]#*NʰW$rKU)6ٻ%w]/y, T!U$#c>ps֓Jlmt%FVo%cO6.TL \y3xZѴmVf2[iZ-/: S[w|} i¸ S4nSu)RQ-kv秚^TiGaMS'n;Q%%t!XAmpB<JTj97.ɷvnRVI=n$_3B9]\®n_?6G[H-5ncTR )] Z`1 圎89Mk=2bN[UDjl@zҍ|Ot^w01n] KSôr1vP^;y^?+\kEV!R*dRw9P sI wKhVY{lNUI =x+Z&kZy-tkM}"#2n$"Q@*0%vWz[m-6i/_A,#Ϊ0w $u;u#e[im4(yxn1$ rYD*[kNGi1լz[(D4Qĭ.D䭷~-* !s %Z1q;0o-v`;SyZ4Ko/{?O(LtJ}E]P-e;rMs>U_6-:7tM)N*N;)kW >0i ?QxF& EPo,孭D Qnfݭ|/ƤgڌU?m7;7n_7ʝw V*X;wV_^E#euF/VQӦѼxG+s\ylRI;7ԧ/~Z88xuFC8*N #qFr9iCk K74>YQ^X\"$V"aZ-퐪a0XOi0V%)TSks)rnϚ^M1bTөKНhB-Tme>E7rv=&j.jaMX°wH1I4̗^ޒV= *;Koe'N*|X| >S߻/o4xdߵ m˒Keў=౱g` Hp*[mĒ9j7x(N-bm$n3]שգ)S~\meiڼr]ron*apܶUDezie~TqGڬ6T+55{7?rx*qUTnn^]=Sg·JFM1ZX)W[O*Re8la#nD[dp00sb&:w]%f4MY;|;{XXԭ>g&&mK?x/a*E  HlirnO٦쬒vm{oʺWiÖ)^%kh-:5c<*X1t?+/υ\Wc^٭Rڭ[סV^}oBB|r$.α^ۋ(\ 7fv],Ihy iUuO"@#,06Dp$ $ۓ(앝vwa٭=:0Dh$feaO*dy\G7/4mgvZ[)o}?ز;3,lL V@ l?`gXI[WHjIWBrW) ^6Nv+'8>ơHٵ-h]c'~y~e- yχ\[Hc $Mu]aN!8Ԫ>ޡHXv ,AX^OwnUu o%o*> /ٰ̬8$ŽxGZmv_^/oW(Z)%j|s\ \aT[iYm?P_!c%C$4-ss26^+qN6I&K=׽H%&?i[4Jy+rWdcNx(YZ*:veߢ>Ozg}mm#C.|O߀I ' LcJ[5JI(ԔmYYz]~:[ZTQ~jGGϪ|d񄱁xy2Y5j>Q7U40oc^[+Z(Uwj2R]Ԟ՞O i[4: *ͮOjmV.- 8m)R}+&oޫONY%+_]=tȺB=ʡYzxF \;GީʄtW7 ~0qBK|;=4ׯkO//NIdQU[v7(,:ij_VRWv3 P$R'8[I[+m׮wrn:I7|ʟ$G #>]6dI㽓oOө j{?/r8oő; |u8hvQ/䗗=ȶ8!)NAl6VKUV}͂\]eFnÍbӫ_s]t/1H})aʅcpIZkFZUwT<"Hd`#}X*LgzvRƿM?UެX&.$Fo siۛike{ Yph>kWhm+F#Uu~AƵX|G, ptV-LsªV\'Y7v|j6Zi9U.WMS?K; lm崺o:4RCxk)|e8598I۲OtjӯN5hT+(ŸzIŮ4{wߌqW!?t|])HB׼3.B燮mc]2!$C! 6aR$gB E?)E7u=,i&m}v>{F}ԬԢq~Zj 5i#[h1V .exploitation of the stereotype of the mournful, extrovertly passionate and emotional Russian artist in his works. But it really doesn't look as though these pieces are meant anything less than utterly sincerely, and they pack a tremendous emotional punch, without the (OK, very enjoyable) placing on one side of good taste of Khachaturian, though Dmitriev gives away nothing in vividness of orchestration or sheer exctement to the Armenian. If you thrill to Shostakovich 7 or 11, or to Prokofiev's Nevsky, here is a real treat for you. Yegor Grechishnikov (violin), Tchaikovsky Great Academic Symphony Orchestra; Vladimir Fedoseyev. Boheme CDBMR 902043 (Russia) 03B078 $16.98

JOEP FRANSSENS: Dwaallicht for 2 Sopranos and Ensemble, Taking the Waters for Orchestra, Winter Child for Piano. Mysterious and meditative, the music of Joep Franssens has been hailed as the Dutch representative of the New Spirituality movement, if there is such a thing, that includes the works of Pärt, Kancheli and Vasks (for the last of whom Franssens acknowledges a mutual enthusiasm). Slow-moving and non-confronatational, there seems to be no reason why this music should not resonate in the public consciousness as successfully as Franssens' better-known colleagues with similar aims have done already. Reina Boelens, Gerrie de Vries (sopranos), Delta Ensemble; Rutger van Leyden, Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestra; Lukas Foss, Ivo Janssen (piano). Donemus CV 84 (Netherlands) 03B079 $18.98

IAN KROUSE (b.1956): Rhapsody for Violin and Orchestra, Tientos for Flute and String Trio, Thamar y Amnón for Flute, Viola and Harp, Cuando se abre en la mañana for Soprano and Guitar. Krouse's music is unabashedly, even uncomfortably, emotional; unquestionably deeply felt and personal - in fact, in the notes for this disc he mentions that the works here were composed over the period of a turbulent year in his life, and represent responses to events that affected him at the time. The composer is drawn to two folk traditions - Irish/Celtic and Spanish, and themes and processes derived from both frequently appear in these predominantly tonal, lyrical end expressive works. The Rhapsody is like a larger, more turbulent, big brother to Barber's Adagio. Tientos takes up where the Rhapsody leaves off - it was composed immediately afterwards - and is sparer in texture and more aggressive in its protesting. Here as in the shorter works, the influence of Spanish folksong is very apparent. Maria Bachmann (violin), New Zealand Symphony Orchestra; James Sedares, Dinosaur Annex, Debussy Trio, Sun Young Kim (soprano), Scott Tennant (guitar). Koch International Classics 7482 (U.S.A.) 03B080 $16.98

KLAUS CORNELL (b.1932): Récière: Metaphor for Piano and Orchestra, Alsea - A Prayer - for String Quartet, TOMÁ· SVOBODA (b.1939): Concerto for Chamber Orchestra (Returns), Op. 125, ERNEST BLOCH (1880-1959): In Memoriam. This disc interestingly couples works by three very European composers who settled and pursued their careers in the Pacific Northwest. Bloch's touching little In Memoriam, is typical of his noble, sophisticated yet uncomplicated style. Cornell's two works draw their inspiration from places - Réclère from a location in his native Switzerland noted for its forest scenery and caves (subtitled "metaphor", it seems to suggest that a theme of things hidden and obscured, inaccessible), and Alsea from a river in the spectacular setting of the Oregon coast. In Réclère, the piano acts as a guide or narrator in our journey through the nether regions, often accompanied by solo instruments or small commenting groups - tutti are rare. Svoboda's piece is a personal reflection on the question of separation from one's homeland by political forces one cannot control - Svoboda is Czech, and left his country in 1964, not to return until the 1980s. Somewhat austere and full of restrained emotion, the concerto is somewhat reminiscent of Martinu, an early mentor of Svoboda's. Richard Bosworth (piano), Vera Nocáková (soprano), Slovak Sinfonietta; Anthony Armoré, Carmina Quartet. Gallo CD-950 (Switzerland) 03B081 $18.98

FRANCIS BURT(b.1926): Und GOtt der HErr sprach. "And the Lord God said" was originally conceived as an occasional piece for a ceremony in honour of the golden wedding anniversary of the president of the Vienna Konzertgesellschaft, but after his death the piece was reworked into concert form. The original purpose dictated the choice of Biblical texts, which reflect on the meaning and spiritual significance of love, companionship, childbearing, longevity and mortality. The music is, broadly speaking, tonal, often rich in harmony, though in keeping with the composer's self-acknowledged recent trend, it is often very free in meter, creating a floating, unearthly effect. Brigitte Pinter (mezzo), Cheyne Davidson (baritone), Dean Ely (bass-baritone), United Philharmonic Vienna, Antifonia Chor; Richard Edlinger. NMC D063M (England) 03B082 $15.98

STEFAN WOLPE (1902-1972): Quartet for Trumpet, Tenor Sax, Percussion and Piano, From Here on Farther, for Violin, Clarinet, Bass Clarinet and Piano, Musik zu Hamlet for Flute, Clarinet and Cello, Suite im Hexachord for Oboe and Clarinet, 7 Pieces for 3 Pianos, Music for Any Instruments. The range of style and influences seamlessly incorporated into Wolpe's works (and the very seamlessness with which the assimilation takes place) is in itself a fascinating characteristic. One minute you are listening to a very obviously jazz-influenced composition; the next, the composer's completely fluent use of strict serial techniques becomes the predominant factor. In these small ensemble works, technical virtuosity of the very highest order is frequently required of the performers, especially as Wolpe's textures are invariably crystal clear, and permit no approximation or imprecision. All these pieces exert a magnetic fascination in their meticulous mechanism and quirky expressivity. ensemble avance. col legno AU 31809 (Germany) 03B083 $18.98

CARLOS H. VEERHOF (b.1926): Piano Sonata, Violin Sonata, Op. 47, Divertimento per tre for Violin, Double Bass and Piano, Op. 48, String Trio No. 1, Op. 56, Dialogues II for Viola and Percussion, Op. 62, 7 mal 1 for Percussion Solo, Op. 58. Argentine-born but northern-European in background, training and musical bac kground, Veerhoff's music is unmistakably indebted to the legacy of the past, though using elements of any 20th-century musical language that suited the composer's æsthetic intentions. Highly structured, using serial or mathematical techniques, these works freely acknowledge their romantic background in the same way that Berg's violin concerto or 3 Orchestral Pieces do; that is, without compromise or any attempt at point-proving. There are clusters and dissonances, but there is often a hauntingly lyrical line as well; there are harsh sounds and percussive textures, but even in the percussion pieces, an unexpected tenderness. Very difficult to classify, and strikingly memorable. Gerhard Oppitz (piano) and other artists. col legno 31879 (Germany) 03B084 $18.98

ELMAR LAMPSON (b.19): Facetten for Piano Trio, To Axion Esti for Solo Piano, Suite der Substanzen for 2 Pianos, Percussion and Low Strings. Clear, crystalline intervals, implying and often, in fact, exploring diatonic and modal harmony are characteristic of Lampson's music. The music often has a propulsive rhythmic quality as well, which prevents any suggestion of static contemplation of the natural (not tempered) tones which fascinate the composer. In the piano pieces, bell-like sounds and subtle harmonies suggest the patterns of refracted light, and the ensemble work also seems to suggest the inevitability and patterning of some natural process, unquantifiable and mysterious, though perfectly ordered. Ulrike Bauer-Werth (piano), Volker Biesenbender (violin), Vladimir Toncha (viola), Soloists Ensemble of the Hamburg Academic Orchestra; Elmar Lampson. col legno 31885 (Germany) 03B085 $18.98

RUDOLF KELTERBORN (b.1931): Changements for Large Orchestra, Ensemble-Buch I for Baritone and Instruments, Escursioni for Flute, Cello and Harpsichord, Fantasia a tre for Piano Trio, Variationen for Oboe and String Orchestra. Changements is a poweful and compelling orchestral score, in which material metamorphoses in an oddly organic, though tightly structured way; it also contains some thrilling sounds, the kind of orchestral sonority let loose that one often secretly hopes for when approaching an unfamiliar piece of contemporary orchestral music. The big song cycle with ensemble, Ensemble-Buch is also a richly evocative work, with telling echoes of the Romantic song-cycle seen from a post-Webernian standpoint. The "Variations" again share qualities of thrilling sound and precisely structured argument. Various artists incl. SWF-Sinfonieorchester Baden-Baden; Ernest Bour and Heinz Holliger (oboe). col legno 31878 (Germany) 03B086 $18.98

RICHARD HARVEY (b.1931): Plague and the Moonflower. An unusual presentation, in the form of a small hardcover book, this might best be descibed as a multimedia presentation, and that goes for the music as well. Sometimes suggesting Baroque orchestral music, sometimes cathedral polyphony, sometimes folk music of the British Isles, and sometimes "New Age" meditativeness with elements of film-score like "contemporary" orchestral textures, the score features guest appearances by John Williams on guitar, and an Andean folk group. Adding to the eclectic mix is narration by two noted British actors. The book is a 30-odd page full color mini art book, containing the libretto and illustrations by Ralph Steadman, in his familiar, confrontational style. The work is a modern parable about pollution and the environment, and hope for the future. Ben Kingsley, Ian Holm (speakers), John Williams (guitar), Kym Amps (soprano), Choir of New College Oxford, New London Children's Choir, English Chamber Choir, Orchestra; Richard Harvey. Altus Special ALU 0001 (England) 03B087 $28.98

LEO KRAFT (b.1922): From the Hudson Valley for Flute, Strings and Harp, GODFREY SCHROTH (b.1927): Spring in Bucks County for Flutes and Piano, ERIC EWAZEN (b.1954): Ballade, Pastorale and Dance for Flute, Horn and Piano, ARTHUR FOOTE (1853-1937): Night Piece for Flute and Strings. Kraft's evocative pastorale opens this appealing disc of music for flute in conjunction with various combinations of instruments. The Schroth is a delightful suite, opening with a lively dancing allegro, followed by a pastorale for alto flute which has a sort of updated Cyril Scott feel to it, and a kaleidoscopic finale with many moods. The Ewazen brings a greater degree of complexity, but is as accessible as the other pieces, and the timbrally rich combination of flute, horn and piano is used to great effect. Margaret Swinchoski (flute), Hudson Strings; JoAnn Falletta, Ron Levy (piano), Scott Brubaker (horn). Albany TROY 371 (U.S.A.) 03B088 $16.98

CARL UNANDER-SCHARIN: The King of Fools. An operatic portrayal of a schizophrenic's world while an inmate of an asylum (based on an autobiographical account by Elgard Jonsson), although dramatic and intense, the work is less harrowing in an obvious sense than subtly disturbing, and this is at least in part because it is so thoroughly driven by musical, motivic and thematic considerations, and also because the composer's sense of vocal writing is so completely accomplished. Much of the time the music is not any more avant-garde sounding than, say, Sallinen - though the composer's routine use of the synthesizer as an orchestral instrument is an incidental feature of some interest. Unexpectedly lyrical and moving, often strangely beautiful and with an unusual emphasis on the possibilities of the voice as the true singing instrument; most recommendable. 2 CDs. Swedish-English libretto. Mats Persson (baritone), Anna Larsson (alto), Carolina Bengtsdotter-Ljung (mezzo), Instrumental Ensemble; Michael Bartosch. Caprice CAP 22046 (Sweden) 03B089 $33.98

FRANCESCO PENNISI (b.1934): Sesto Trio for Flute, Viola and Harp, Acanthis for Flute and Piano, La Muse endormie for Cello and Prepared Piano, 3 Pezzi for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Introduzione al grecale for Flute and Harp, Étude-Rhapsodie for Flute, Clarinet and Piano, Se appare al dubio for Flute, Clarinet, Cello, Piano and Percussion. Pennisi's sound-world is one of gossamer arabesques and delicate, open textures. But this is not gently meditative new-age music, and it has its shadows and suggestions of turbulent depths. It is complex and essentially linear, contrapuntal, and broadly atonal, though often surprisingly consonant. So, with its air of evocative mystery, it forms a kind of new Impressionism, achieved through economy of means, innovative instrumental textures and a wealth of resonant ideas. Alter Ego Ensemble. BMG Ricordi CRMCD 1055 (Italy) 03B090 $18.98

JOSÉ MANUEL LÓPEZ LÓPEZ (b.1956): Cálculo Secreto for Vibraphone, Sottovoce for Vocal Quartet and Live Electronics, Jenseits... Diesseits for Chamber Group, Lo fijo y lo volátil for Piano and Live Electronics, Lituus for Brass Quartet and Live Electronics. In a lecture, the composer is quoted as identifying a class, or subset, of contemporary composers "which takes into consideration above all the laws and properties of sound" (and then goes on to name the usual suspects in this group, whose names have not infrequently graced these pages). It is clear from the works presented here that he aligns himself squarely with this group, and it is not surprising to find him using live and recorded electronics to realise his aims. Instrumental gestures are mostly that - gestural, rather than structural, even in the non-electroacoustic works for vibraphone and for chamber group; the timbral implications of the particular notes played, their resonances and overtones, the sense of sound as a plastic medium to be sculpted, is the overriding preoccupation here. Miguel Bernat (vibraphone), Electric Phoenix, Ensemble Sine Qua Non; Nicolas Brochot, Françoise Matringe (piano), Brass of Ensemble Intercontemporain. BMG Ricordi CRMCD 1057 (Italy) 03B091 $18.98

ROBERT MARTIN (b.1952): Diary of a Seducer for Guitar, Guitar Duo and Guitar Trio, CHARLES WUORINEN (b.1938): Sonata for Guitar and Piano, MILTON BABBITT (b.1916): Sheer Pluck for Solo Guitar, ELLIOTT CARTER (b.1908): Changes for Solo Guitar. Enthusiasts for the guitar in 20th-century music will not hesitate to acquire this disc, whether for Robert Martin's eloquent series of sketches exploring the singing possibilities of the instrument alone or in combination with its peers, or for the expanded vocabulary suggested by pairing it with the piano, an unusual combination which Wuorinen unfolds into a surprisingly consonant dialogue, or for the fascinatingly complex I-didn't-know-a-guitar-could-do-that (though typically without any "odd" playing techniques) and very different short (though event-filled) works by Babbitt and Carter. William Anderson (guitar), Joan Forsyth (piano), Oren Fader, Mark Delpriora (guitars). CRI 838 (U.S.A.) 03B092 $16.98

RONALD CALTABIANO (b.1959): Hexagons for Piano and Wind Quintet, Sonata for Solo Cello, Fanfares for Harpsichord, Concertini for 15 Instruments. A strong sense of forward movement characterises much of Caltabiano's music, in part deriving from his frequent use of energetic, propulsive rhythms, and in part from the unerring sense of motion implied by his harmonic language, which is frequently tonal, or modal. Another important characteristic is his sense of the dramatic - the early cello sonata has the character of an impassioned soliloquy, and the harpsichord work dances with the clearly delineated characterisations of a stage work. Bold dramatic gestures and driving ostinati alternate with restless interludes in the ensemble pieces as well, all combining in a most appealing program of accessible but unfamiliar styles. Hexagon Ensemble, Fred Sherry (cello), Joyce Lindorff (harpsichord), The Group for Contemporary Music; Ronald Caltabiano. CRI CD 835 (U.S.A.) 03B093 $16.98

ULRICH LEYENDECKER (b.1946): Sonata for 2 Pianos, 7 Short Pieces, Piano Pieces I-IV, Ricercar, 13 Bagatellen. This disc deserves the highest recommendation on two counts; Leyendecker writes music that is modern, individual and exciting, without following any fashion or self-consciously addressing styles or schools of any period of the past. Everything is clear and precisely argued, rhythmically dynamic, texturally immaculate and harmonically accessible, even when the music is frankly atonal. Secondly, in the sonata he has successfully written a piece which exploits that problematic medium on its own terms, without ever sounding as though it might have worked better on one piano or some other combination of instruments. Although free in form, the elements of sonata structure are present at least as a point of departure, which undoubtedly contributes to the work's strong sense of cohesiveness and compactness. The other two-piano work, Ricercar, uses material based on Bach and Beethoven in a richly contrapuntal texture, again "orchestrated" for the medium with remarkable skill. Jimin Oh-Havenith, Raymund Havenith (pianos). Musicaphon M 55709 (Germany) 03B094 $15.98

ISTVÁN VÁNTUS (1935-1992): Gemma, Toll, Sound Groups, Nænia, Excerpts from The Golden Coffin, Reflections, Ecloga. With their perhaps inevitable traces of Bartók and Kodaly, and the pentatonic-modal folk-music of Central Europe, these finely wrought works include two heartfelt laments - Toll, in memory of Rudolf Maros, and Nænia, in memory of the composer's brother, which culminate in outbursts of wrenching grief; a playful scherzo for strings, Gemma; excerpts from a dramatic opera and a contemplative homage to Bach. In other words, a portrait of a versatile composer of deep feeling, whose expressive capabilities extend across genres and musical styles, always retaining a profound seriousness of purpose. Vocal Soloists, Hungarian Radio and TV Chorus and Chamber Orchestra; András Ligeti, Szeged Weiner Chamber Orchestra; Richard Weninger, Budapest Symphony Orchestra; Tamás Pál. Hungaroton HCD 31793 (Hungary) 03B095 $16.98

MORTON FELDMAN (1926-1987): Piece, Projection 4, Extensions 1, Vertical Thoughts 2, Spring of Chosroes, For John Cage. This set contains Feldman's complete music for violin and piano, a combination that lends itself well to his extended assemblages of tiny sound events, from early (1950s) pieces, brief yet typical of the composer's pointillistic style, to the huge (80-miniute) For John Cage of 1982, which in its suspension of process or time is truly a summation of what makes Feldman what he was as a composer. 2 CDs. Marc Sabat (violin), Stephen Clarke (piano). Mode 82/83 (U.S.A.) 03B096 $33.98

STELLA SUNG: Dance of the While Lotus Under the Silver Moon, ZHOU LONG (b.1953): Su, TAN DUN (b.1957): In Distance, JACQUELINE JEEYOUNG KIM: Tiger Chasing the Wind, YOON HEE HWANG: dharma-Dharma. These works share the subtle delicacy and mysterious shading that the combination of flute and harp might suggest. Images of orientalism are most apparent in the Sung and Kim works, which really seem to echo the evocative ethereal ink washes and linear minimalism (not in the musical sense) of Eastern graphic arts. The Tan Dun and Zhou Long are less concerned with melodic beauties, and might be said to have a slightly harder edge; the Hwang is a complex fantasia on philosophical themes, and although it quotes Korean folk music, dharma-Dharma is the most western-concert-music sounding piece here, though like the other works, it inhabits a world of meditative stasis and reflective beauty; a sense of calm and freedom from the psychoanalysible agitation common in western concert music of the 20th century. Susan Glaser (flute), Emily Mitchell (harp), Matthew Gold (percussion), Stephanie Griffin (viola). Koch International Classics 7497 (U.S.A.) 03B097 $16.98

JOHN CAGE (1912-1992): Complete Music for Percussion, Vol. 1 - Quartet, Trio, Imaginary Landscape No. 1, First Construction (In Metal), Second Construction, Living Room Music, CAGE/LOU HARRISON (b.1917): Double Music. Curiously appealing, these studies in rhythm and sonority (pitches being very much of secondary importance) display an important aspect of the great experimenter. Prepared in collaboration with the composer, these flexibly scored works often have a vitality which sometimes seems to be missing in some of the prepared piano or performance-art experiments for which Cage is better known. The suggestion of the Gamelan, or of traditional Oriental drumming ensembles is very much in evidence, and not only in the collborative effort with Lou Harrison, Double Music. Even those wary of Cage's music as being more theoretically interesting than worth listening to will find these works evocative and atmospheric. Amadinda Percussion Group, Zoltán Kocsis (piano). Hungaroton HCD 31844 (Hungary) 03B098 $16.98

GUUS JANSSEN (b.1951): Keer for Orchestra, Dans van de malic matrijzen for Piano and Winds, Passevite for Ensemble, Bruuks for Small Ensemble, Verstelwerk for Saxophone, Piano, Percussion and Orchestra. Janssen's music has clear outlines and is orchestrated in bold blocks of primary color. Throughout these works there is an appealing energy and dynamism. It might be legitimate to argue that the music exists mainly in its foreground activity, which sometimes flirts with minimalism, sometimes with jazz; but this is not especially important; Janssen lacks a sense of the portentous, and the music has an excitingly improvisational quality, and a well-developed sense of humor (as for example the suggestion of record surface noise and fragments of jazz that opens Passevite). His handling of large forces is surefooted, and modern-s?Ul8@̊SN5duI˖Jz4 3xi֨'VG< ` #WEt;Ѱ@`*aବ*m5)ti=ü%eJ>Yr$խttף2 pW I IMCuw]ۿwԩJɽyuVY/ִho6Hueu,G +hů{mއ&(pZOEti$vUDk"G8,6mݎrzכR5U&׾׷˭XJozk{ylq1cqUx8Mn=xsRF7}ֽ_If8WľzQv傃|l]-n{Q(J[+ۖUSusS[ IbxϻnaqxUEJIF);{E;(mm.`mr}UQ~J, ʮzTMz]ioRޞ] iev qyP_+[#쵦}Goݣ?֟y<1b1aSi6Uq@f>vq5woM, ;\_u0rۀX"mꤨn}8J.:Em{ۿvϵ34lcy#+-/KjjｵusDJ˹E=42B[vVEfl1ZWҋ{i뭯bVQg~,"v}a`ώ# #m1rY[]-+%KvI5mo29oYL/3"8m `)un[]4{ފ~^^~VWz~&`<,Z`eڪ0X`*1h4+@^ŜUweww_竸Z/ޖoBcV!Y@TI4K6}A)+I}tWȮ[l`AخcAEFӻ mkeʖ[_UI-t_o46(4X *}B09 S=Yj^ؗ]%"+jf,$諸6v bUݩV0.Ku}Sjۍė}.K~&_>u Nuk [z&iU]l/V5gINZt-[Z=Gsg5j^-aͥ Nn~;ixwK+J"9cPDڅGț$\}LJpX7u{;-V# _wN+G .=Q_nTk#՜ ߂q GQq#뒼;6쭵޶Ѿmt藒W{ȶ̫т, &UscsI#"MflϾȥy_nymeUj2D~fQUqEg}uv4~ktrn fI&'nDGf a= 8{DoE۷}JWw_]K0+aF+*R]S# x9!ͥמWIk+[^U"ܫ&QUW!D nb: ]EoJ)W[imıv0fRO,@A'?v-zv;vy_/̷*V6r9i~O*FNY٫]WM_wBRNg, &3"G ewn}23qN**:-;忖+Jϳ_DV8ٙ B12TV-GmuzwIZ] ~WױREr"3#̆9C cHYVL;VE՟g)ߩK+FJ2 AMI'{5\eEJ-8S[Xjye@\O%&p0Q Vԣ8ԥ7Nq٧nWOGε 8nzqN[JW]S]]=B(ӴOc@֥ygKyZ)nP֮m4x7\͍pAğQoInnXǫ^ۀ]biLx!\pi]ҍK{ʥjPyܞG똈PV_-ݒ{lҺwZmZυgH׼y7#,eZ8sebY XɉE7,Lc8ۚIk::hͤeWҊfmz G]o|9fD,4uB,m0@XAu)PX̊$/XDCJ8 ='ZJ{[է{U(EF=g=Wk-k:~7okZF{41[Nf/>h5)!g7LW%dݦUŷ A].gfmmQګ{06ӻ\fލwA?|o Ic5bo1sbFw[K39M!Bx`>$iъW$SSd8V{o%ͥGFmY;}{{~x7w|9T pFр+)o%]q9J37ʴ]4=AF A+%eeV{;IFeXgyR Cg0'sc],ն\u{=)4_mn 4-##DnN2k**s(Ӵeڲq[it՝4V|*ш53:F$' M9ZwiOT6k`fGT&&1`yo2L҅q!ArKOm4Ukj}ˊNZt:2˴y&J8pkT FyrW2k.N6׽gk^:ymߩ y`0hh.:ijF?2Ibv]Z$OOl[vUg~%h,I,>askr!"uPe;qxȥ%(s/wUhѭ_vJm-,}>ʍJ%gEROybG@'y x,JfӺZsmovn=6wiQX'Q& /'u4y^+tzt-7VW,#o~֓HY|]Aُ0NAUܬy fTeOE{l'nkh\]G*Y݉"L ɀcUlv00I4-}iegoM>#߯,đIsgoI#,#z.$K[[mһvZ/~"ռC(aφIfVGj(Vز,^VqNnQqwy>Wuf>Y_aBF{8Jm.^]ƭioD·r'hD[>SUNh6`cpWIЫpy_*Sk)hV}'Rס`pu^:}(FmmJ8LL;*վO7ĒeƳi2a 'snӳ!;!&Hk6sx>QyCVͽu䓵ŷn T(lw:iZ7_Ỿ~#a=wInn"/*2cyFIa`I]ˣw}WN}ZVߕ։$XylvK,2<&o,|cЌN_/Go/m-+$]jE]dV%U.v02yM+o{|?T k]4nq0 9^A;!Ac_; OKhԧ*C?`*Xȟ!pFqCZ?W{GN_=~Z>_cnIdYD 2-m" o%f0qz5X7+unt릚;$1~;r7pA2r:}wY|MV}B##IR 4L~V**1)ӢビRck&~;]u]?;ʐ06ᱜw(RZ~wﳳI5{oef bJ>C(pp8TddjM-k[eÎ[v 2Ma$1j.1 QNݜM>gk%ͥMt]:hc8nͻ]c`q~clΝWVmq[lUQɏ.81d qgz[of ZVtnOLIeme(e: ]πvtMtuMʼni}:i2bvI3& IQ2r#QuekK/7vd֟?O2a*1(QUe\n.^Z_ ]g;Z>EҵI~I$ڬD} '6:w $c)-%ouv~[_᾽>/.wJk%֭5%|x$Դ6]LJmI{_J,B4q +[FMQ;'t7&ӏ'_9KKac'V<:)JItKGS u%ȞԬFDd'-͸9n3(.ZS eSvtm\5u0N8yoZy#(ql/i`mWJ5gxѽ\Zcug)h$cNKUt{Zxz 6vVckU"A =F@`\{5^_w݄tZ%mIujvZY߷{ Y-UR&)Q~m(+2\RN޾^Mml^MWlսS},!e!,2 @dܓ9Wtr'A[tIZmQ0_l;L6>xfeǀO-"\-V]lZEI[ȼ"?ţ r*D8+&, f泽ܵBU3HYԢ#h`mL9GxZ_t%mRڎePY<0CGkhVݗlXYEi|޺#uJc^#2|.T-TN:OKϭvIWWO "rx* 28͈)PxUmif骻k~(ۦ}[7ۍ)%A<my厑nݼb,FRpX!dgq=sY7k=wJht`$2m0OX΄x%8 #~n~zKk"|HWuVǑ`9Kz4_s~Ko+@y",D$Y8on+d'Mu;xS}?fߍ- +qIoj?7:ų R06avw9^6I[}7U# YNԯN3K_Τ!=;(IWauws57(#LZI40fKfeiCu:\Xmn>łY2J8Zp^QSVkw{{}zq0s*ߖ:J=\ܥeői s>:tounding as it is, the music is never abstruse or obscure; listen to this if you think of contemporary music as a duty rather than a pleasure. Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra; Riccardo Chailly, Gerard Bouwhuis (piano), Netherlands Wind Ensemble; David Porcelijn, Ebony Band; Werner Herbers, Asko Ensemble; David Porcelijn, LOOS & Radio Chamber Orchestra; Peter Eötvös. Donemus CV 81 (Netherlands) 03B099 $18.98

LEOPOLDO GAMBERINI (b.1922): Anna Frank - Canata scenica. This is a magnificent and impressive achievement, a War Requiem that recalls Britten's, perhaps incongruously, as the music has little in common with his. But through the setting and interpretation of text of astonishing vividness and directness - in this case, the Diary of Anne Frank, a heartbreaking journal of the effects of the inhumanity of war (as in its different way, Owen's poetry was also), using whatever musical means were at his disposal, Gamberini has achieved a huge, complex work of stunning emotional inmpact. Hushed whispers from the choir, recorded church bell sounds, electronic and musique-concrete interludes and starkly expressionistic orchestral textures unfold in a huge war-tapestry that makes compelling, if uncomfortable, listening. Tatiana Tretiak (soprano), Minsk Madrigal Choir, Minsk Radio and TV Symphony Orchestra; Anatoly Lapunov. Sarx Records ANG 97049 (Italy) 03B100 $16.98

Original Works for Flute and Organ

IB NØRHOLM (b.1931): 3 Pieces for Flute and Organ, Op. 37a, NIELS VIGGO BENTZON (b.1919): Sonata for Flute and Organ, Op. 406, ERIC NORBY (b.1936): Partita for Flute and Organ, SVEND-OVE MØLLER (1903-1949): Invention for Flute and Organ, Op. 34, ALAN HOVHANESS (b.1911): Sonata for Ryuteki and Sho, J.P.E. HARTMANN (1805-1900): Preludium for Flute and Organ, JEAN LANGLAIS (1907-1991): Sats for Flute and Organ, JEHAN ALAIN (1911-1940): 3 Movements for Organ and Flute. The combination of these instruments is rare but, as might be expected, provides tonal, easily apprehended music. Langlais' "Movement" uses Breton melodies and Norby's bears witness to his interest in baroque and Renaissance music while Hovhaness's sonata, originally written for a Japanese combination of 7-hole Chinese flute and 17 pipe mouth-organ, gives the flute melodic lines influenced by gagaku modes while the organ plays chordal clusters in its upper range. Duo Alain (Lars Graugaard - flutes; Marie Ziener - organ of the David Church, Copenhagen). Danacord DACOCD 506 (Denmark) 03B101 $17.98

ARVO PÄRT (b.1935): I Am the True Vine, Bogoróditse Djévo, The Woman with the Alabaster Box, Tribute to Caesar, Ode IX from Kanon pokajanen, Berliner Messe. Pärt's hypnotic, haunting, deeply spiritual and utterly original music is supplemented by three world premiere recordings and the 1997 revision of the Berliner-Messe, originally composed in 1990 shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall for solo voices and organ (here transcribed for choir and strings). Christopher Bowers-Broadbent (organ), Theatre of Voices, The Pro Art1e6 Singers; Paul Hillier. Harmonia Mundi HMU 907242 (U.S.A.) 03B102 $17.98

NINO ROTA (1911-1979): 13 Preludes, Medley from Amarcord, Il Padrino and 8 and a half, Trio for Clarinet, Cello and Piano. A rare opportunity to hear this composer interpreting his own works: 13 of his 15 preludes as well as a medley of film music were recorded live at a festival in 1977. The clarinet trio of 1973 appears here in a new, digital recording. Nino Rota (piano), Trio Electa. Istituto Discografico Italiano IDI 335 (Italy) 03B103 $13.98

MIKLÓS RÓZSA (1907-1995): Plymouth Adventure - Original Film Soundtrack. Dating from 1952, The Plymouth Adventure is a tale of the Pilgrims'journey from England to Massachussetts in which Rózsa based some of his themes on the music of 17th century English lute composers and took over the musical spirit of the age in the rest of the original music. Mono. Orchestra conducted by Miklós Rózsa. Tickertape tt 3014 (Germany) 03B104 $16.98

NIKOLAI MEDTNER (1880-1951): Novelle in G, Op. 17/1, 9 Various Märchen, Danza festiva, Op. 38/3, Arabesque in G Minor, Op. 7/3, Danza jubilosa, Op. 40/4, Improvisation, Op. 31/1, Violin Sonata No. 1 in B Minor, Op. 21. Over a year ago, we offered the first volume in this series since Medtner's music, while being afforded much more attention recently, is still by no means standard repertoire. Here, in 1936 and 1946 HMV recordings is the second issue, usefully including the first violin sonata. Nikolai Medtner (piano), Cecilia Hansen (violin). Appian APR 5547 (England) 03B105 $17.98

JOHN RUTTER (b.1945): Suite, CECIL ARMSTRONG GIBBS (1889-1960): Miniature Dance Suite, DAVID LYON (b.1938): Short Suite, ROY DOUGLAS (b.1908): Cantilena, PHILIP LANE (b.1950): Pantomime, CHARLES WILFRID ORR (1893-1976): A Cotswold Hill Tune, GEORGE MELACHRINO (1909-1965): Les jeux, FRANK CORDELL (1918-1980): King Charles's Gaillard. A great collection of unusual music for string orchestra from both "serious" composers and those who devoted themselves solely to the "light music" genre. Several of these composers will be new to most collectors who will certainly jump at the chance to make their acquaintance at budget price! Royal Ballet Sinfonia; David Lloyd-Jones. Naxos 8.554186 (New Zealand) 03B106 $5.98