ALFRED TOKAYER (1900-1943): Complete Works - Suite symphonique "Une journée de mon Enfant" for Soprano and Orchestra (orchestral version and piano version), Petite Musique for Piano and String Orchestra, Prière sans Paroles and Cantique de Sathonay for String Trio, Prière sans Paroles for Violin and Piano, 2 Marches for Piano Four Hands, Songs: Arrière Eté (2 versions), Une Femme a passé (2 versions), Chanson à la gloire du vin, Soir, Où vas-tu donc, mon cœur?, Obsession, Le Vagabond, Le Monde est Méchat.

Description: Tokayer was a German Jewish composer and conductor who fled to France at the end of 1935 where he served in the Foreign Legion and was sent to Sobibor to be gassed, courtesy of the ever-helpful French police. Most of the works here seem to date from before 1939 but the songs, which seem to convey the careworn years of the Occupation, are from the 1940s. Tokayer was plainly a miniaturist, the longest work being the 15-minute symphonic suite "A Day in the Life of my Child", which oscillates between revue, operetta and light music with a touch of Mahler in its orchestration. Elegant and attractive stuff. No texts. Elsa Levy (soprano), Bertrand Giraud (piano), Sophie Rives (four hands piano), Cécile Peyrol (violin), Daniel Vagner (viola), Agnès Vesterman (cello), Romanian Chamber Orchestra; Amaury du Closel.