MIKLÓS RÓZSA (1907-1995): Orchestral Works, Vol. 1 - Overture to a Symphony Concert, Op. 26a, 3 Hungarian Sketches, Op. 14, Tripartita, Op. 33, Hungarian Serenade, Op. 25.

Description: Of the four works here, only the 1971 Tripartita is otherwise available (we've offered it twice - in Dec. 2004 on Kleos Classics and in May of 2005 on cpo). The other works are much earlier, the Serenade from 1932 (rev. 1946), the Sketches from 1938 (rec. 1958) and the Overture from 1956 (rev. 1963). Like the Tripartita, they are an instantly recognizable mixture of Hungarian folk style, Technicolor, Widescreen orchestration and a film-music quality which is hard to pin down but immediately recognizable. Does Rózsa's concert music sound like film music because we know his film scores so well? Or is he just a brilliant communicator of a wonderfully colorful ethnic music heritage - which just happens to make us think of film music? Either way, it's immensely enjoyable music which also exercises your speakers. BBC Philharmonic; Rumon Gamba.