IVÁN ERÖD (b.1936): Violin Concerto, Op. 15 (Israel Chamber Orchestra; Martin Sieghart), Violin Sonatas No. 1, Op. 14 and No. 2, Op. 74, 3 Pieces for Solo Violin, Op. 27.

Description: The titles of the movements of Eröd's warmly appealing concerto - 'Emotions', 'Aesthetics' and 'Games' - give a pretty good idea of what the composer was up to during the 1970s. Rejecting academic modernity in favor of music that was a pleasure to hear and to perform, Eröd adopted a firmly tonal idiom, neo-romantically emotional, and not eschewing humorous elements and passing nods to popular culture - witness the swinging rhythm of the first movement's countersubject, written when Beatlemania was at its height. This easy-going, busy movement is followed by a strand of purest melody in the enchanting and enchanted second movement, and a lively rondo-finale. The composer aimed for a Mendelssohnian lightness of touch in the classically structured first sonata, and this is certainly evident throughout, especially in the elegant variations of the central movement. The Second dates from thirty years later, but is recognisably from the same pen, though the composer's Hungarian roots are more in evidence. The work was influenced by a trip to India, and the modality of its language intriguingly blends those of eastern Europe and the Subcontinent. The three pieces - tonal and totally accessible - are strictly organised according to formal rules, including those of dodecaphony, in a slyly humorous satire on modern musical constructs. Thomas Albertus Irnberger (violin), Michael Korstick (piano).