Piston: Violin Concertos Nos. 1 and 2; Fantasia Concertos
Piston's First Violin Concerto (1939), which was once recorded on a German LP, is a prize. It's as entertaining as Piston's popularIncredible Flutist, yet so carefully crafted and serious in content as to be satisfying on every level. The other two works were written much later (in 1960 and 1970), and they are both more introspective and a bit less accessible. But they are still very rewarding music. Kuchar, who studied and lives in the U.S., has his fine Ukrainian orchestra playing as though they've known the music for decades. Buswell, who lives across the street from Piston's graveyard, sounds as though he's in touch with the composer's spirit. Add state-of-the-art sound and the disc is a total winner.--Leslie Gerber