ROZSA. Piano Concerto, Op. 311'4. Cello Concerto, Op. 32*S. *Janos Starker (vIc); tLeonard Pennario (pno); IMunich Philharmonic Orchestra / Moshe Atzmon; §Bavarian Radio Orchestra / Wilfried Boettcher. FSM Pantheon/Harmonia Mundi 0 F5M53901 PAN.

In his later 70s, MiklOs ROzsa can hardly be hailed as an up-and-coming young composer. In one side of his work, indeed, that of writing the best music for the best of symphony orchestras playing for the best of films, his name has been familiar for nearly half a century. And as, recently and growingly, the name has become familiar as the writer of concert music independent of the cinema it has become clear, even if rather belatedly, that the same standards apply to Reizsa's music in this other field. And very rewardingly so.

The Piano Concerto, for example: a rather fierce piece, as has suited one facet of the instrument (especially in concerto usage) for rather more than a century. The ferocity is suitably tempered in places, the balance of emotion over the whole expanse of music well considered. It is expressed in an idiom which is totally natural to the composer: a twentieth-century view of tonality, coloured by a Hungarian origin (consider the oboe tune shortly into the finale). And the whole conception turned into the most beautiful sound, compelling in its own right, with a skill for scoring developed from natural instinct extended by many, many years' experience in the studio.

The Cello Concerto is rather less fierce, almost inevitably so considering the nature of the solo instrument. But not less so in any astonishing degree; it was curious how often I was put in mind, listening to the concerto, of Starker's own classic record of the Kodaly unaccompanied sonata. It is an entirely reasonable resemblance: Kodaly and ROzsa—only one generation apart—are of the same national origin, and both believe in writing what comes naturally to their pens. But, of course, also in the nature of the case is that there is one major difference in the two approaches on the present occasion, in that ROzsa is writing not only for a virtuoso solo cello but also for a virtuoso orchestra, handled as skilfully as can be.

The contribution of both orchestras to the final result cannot be over praised: it is superlative, as is the contribution of both soloists. A first-class recording keeps these soloists and their orchestras in entirely suitable balance for the music concerned. And what splendid music it is! M.M. ( Readers may be interested to know that Mikhis. ROzsa's autobiography, "Double Life" is now available in paperback from The Baton Press, £5.95)