HANS GÁL (1890-1987): Concertino for Cello and Strings, Op. 87 (First Recording), Sonata for Solo Cello, Op. 109a, Suite for Solo Cello, Op. 109b.

Description: Concertino does not imply light or short here. Gál’s five works thus titled merely use a string orchestra rather than a fuller one with winds and brass. This 24-minute piece is from 1965 and has a somewhat dark and unsettled first movement, a tender and lyrical adagio and a positive if quirky finale. The two solo cello pieces are remarkable examples of a clear, clever and incisive 92-year-old mind. Matthew Sharp (cello), English Symphony Orchestra; Kenneth Woods.