The two works for cello and orchestra here, the , of and by , are hardly common on concert programs; perhaps the , taking the - language into serialist territory, is a bit better known. They are quite different, but they have a major trait in common: both were composed for the great Russian cellist . Knowing this makes the two works snap into focus, so to speak; each has the kind of noble melody line that brought to mind, and cellist achieves a reasonable facsimile of the style. The concerto might be termed a real find, departing considerably from the composer's general inspiration. It is something of a sinfonia concertante, with the solo cello emerging in unexpected ways from other solo lines (sample the second and fourth movements). The work has a melancholy that the serialist method cannot squash, and gets lively support from the underrated under conductor . This is a release that will fill spaces on many shelves or hard drives, and it continues to mark the ascent of into the general repertory. ~ James Manheim