Symphony No. 5: Hydriotaphia
This is a major release in Chandos's series of Alwyn symphonies,  particularly because of the generous inclusions of the Sinfonietta for Strings  and the Second Piano Concerto. The Sinfonietta is a 1970 composition that  employs Alwyn's own 12-tone technique, but the overall effect--because of the  strings--is one of an almost naked beauty. The Sinfonietta, perhaps more than  any other composition of Alwyn's later years, tows a strict Modernist line and  it's clear here that Alwyn doggedly wants to look to the future rather than  languish in a romantic past. He is the bridge to the current postmoderns Tippett  and Maxwell Davies.--Paul Cook