Boldly on Recent music from Italy, with BASIL RAMSEY Metier    MSV CD92018

There are those CD compilations devoted to music of our time that, in a sense, go straight for the jugular. There's no placatory introduction here to soothe innocent listeners, so dive in boldly. If today's music generally bothers you, do not capitulate. After all, modern music comes in many flavours, and some should activate your taste buds.

That said, Enrico Correggia, Luca Francesconi, Giacinto Scelsi, Ada Gentile, and Dario Maggi are not names instantly recognisable to any but those who chart their musical course through the numerous bodies specialising in today's music. All this music is therefore new to most of us, which will spur some to action and many to the reverse.

I always feel anxious for lesser-known composers striving for attention and interest. They all deserve some reaction from listeners. It is invariably a buyers' market, leaving the less fortunate composers with egg on their faces and a bundle of manuscripts under their arm. Therefore a CD programmed as this presents a challenge and some satisfaction for those who go boldly for it. Hesitation gets nowhere.

Performances are strong, leaving the listener to decide verdicts from positive presentation [listen -- track 7, 0:00-1:01].

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Record Box is Music & Vision's regular Saturday series of shorter CD reviews