Compelling energy Music by Tüür, Sibelius and Rachmaninov, reviewed by HOWARD SMITH Warner    2564 61992-2

Expressive works by these three northern composers sit comfortably side by side. The problem is, discs such as this from Warner, with as little as 53 minutes' music, are barely acceptable. However if you're drawn towards Anu Tali's release, bearing this 'cheapskate' programming in mind, you are in safe enough hands. With her Nordic Symphony Orchestra, she tackles Tüür's orchestral pieces, Sibelius' melodrama and three Rachmaninov songs (with Latvia's State Choir), to the manner born.

The thorniest piece here is Tüür's brutal Zeitraum [listen -- track 1, 0:02-0:46]. The opening chord had me wondering fleetingly if I'd put on Brahms' 1st Piano Concerto by mistake. Following its chilling opening the work proceeds with a development rich in this composer's characteristic yet organically moulded dissimilarities -- forward driving strings, brittle wind figurations, and stabbing brass interjections.

Sibelius' almost mystic The Wood Nymph -- his setting of a 'romantic' text by Swedish poet Viktor Rydberg -- tells of a peasant lad compellingly lured by the wood nymph and subsequently overcome by the bewitching forest. Finnish narrator Lasse Pöysti matches the changing moods to perfection and this atmospheric reading is beautifully realized throughout.

Then Tüür's Action, Passion, Illusion drives forward with further compelling energy though his subdued quasi spiritual central movement, 'Passion' [listen -- track 4, 4:35-5:43], has a depth and inwardness reminiscent of a highly updated (Barber) Adagio for Strings. The three movements conclude with 'Illusion', consummate string writing indeed.

Finally, the opening of Rachmaninov's Three Russian Songs [listen -- track 6, 0:01-1:14] with altos, basses and orchestra -- 'Over the stream, the swift stream' brings echoes of Sibelius. All three texts capture peasant vignettes, underscored with the composer's quintessentially dark scoring. If only Warner had matched the generosity of BIS or Naxos -- bar for bar.

For help listening to the sound extracts here, please refer to our questions & answers page.

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