Beautiful Writing Music by Kara Karayev - heard by GEOFF PEARCE '... I think this composer will become more widely known - he certainly deserves to be, if these two quite contrasting and original works are anything to go by.'

This interesting Naxos disc introduced me to Kara Karayev (1918-1982), the first composer from the then Soviet state of Azerbaijan, who was friends with, and was influenced by the music of Shostakovich, but his music reflects his home region, and at times he uses serial techniques.

Symphony No 1 was written in 1943. The first movement starts quietly, with the main theme being introduced by the flute. This builds to a contrapuntal Allegro, a kind of sardonic march, not unlike something Shostakovich might have penned...

RUSSIA

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC

VIOLIN MUSIC

NAXOS

KIEV

UKRAINE