OTMAR MÁCHA (1922-2006): The Pure Virgin - Variations on A Czech Medieval Song for Violin and String Orchestra (Jakub Junek [violin]), ZDENEK LUKÁS (1928-2007): Concerto grosso, Op. 36, Dies natalis for Violin and Strings, Op. 348 (Pavla Francu [violin]), SYLVIE BODOROVÁ (b.1954): Concerto dei fiori for Violin and Strings (Jakub Sedlácek [violin]), Bern Concerto "Silberwolke" for Violin, Viola and Strings (Víteszlav Ochman [violin], Jitka Hosprová [viola]).

Description: The earliest work here is Lukas' 1964 Concerto grosso, a taut, tense and succinct (under ten minutes) in the manner of Bartók or pre-war Honegger. Mácha's 1997 Pure Virgin is an intensely lyrical meditiation on a 14th century Marian song and its sense of rapturous beauty is shared both by Lukas' 2005 Dies natalis (yes, the opus number is correct) and Bodorová's Concerto dei fiori (1996). The latter's Bern Concerto, of 2005, has a similar-quality slow movement but it is surrounded by more eventful movements suggesting Balkan folk-music (the finale) and with a steely motoric quality in the first. Quattro Orchestra; Marek Stilec.