HENRI LAZAROF (b.1932): Chronicles for Piano, 12 Preludes (Garrick Ohlsson), 5 Sonatinas for Violin and Piano (Christiane Edinger [violin], Klaus Hellwig [piano]), Coucertazioni for Flute/Alto Flute (Marcos Fregnani-Martin), Duo for Flute, Alto Flute and Harp (Fregnani, Martin [flutes], Laurene Beaufils-Fostner [harp]).

Description: Chronicles is a series of separate movements that traverse a range of moods; there is an emphasis on fiercely virtuosic writing and a feeling of uncertainty and conflict pervades the work. The Preludes are much more straightforwardly tonal, though not unadventurously so, with a wide range of pianistic expression, from motoric propulsion offset with syncopated accents to suggestions of neoclassicism, full-blown romantic expression and a kind of shy, diffident lyricism, in an attractive and varied if ambiguously mercurial set. The other pieces display the composer's stylistic range, from the neo-baroque flavor of the solo flute pieces to the impressionism of the attractive Duo with its alternating solo and duet movements and a touch of orientalism, to the tough, Bartókian Sonatinas. These and the piano Chronicles venture toward the boundaries of tonality more than the other pieces here, but only in a Busonian sense. One of the least adequately documented CDs we have ever seen; no composition dates are given (and most of the works do not appear in Presser's works list, for some reason), no artist information whatsoever, and no clue as to the provenance of the recordings, which appear to be studio productions apart from the Chronicles.