James Sedares & New Zealand Symphony Orchestra At The Far Edge:Symphonic Works Of Se

Conductor James Sedares, this time with the brilliant New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, brings us two more extraordinary symphonies by American composer Daniel Asia. Sedares's previous outing with the Phoenix Symphony brought us Asia's Second and Third Symphonies, which was one of the finest releases of the 1990s. Asia's Fourth, a melodic masterpiece, is more in line with his Second and Third. The First Symphony (1987), however, draws its inspiration more from Weberian atonality (but not Second Vienna serialism) than anything particularly American; its structure, though, is pure Bartók. The Fourth Symphony (1993) is more romantic, more melodic, following closely in evolution from the Second and Third. It's full of perky salutes and colorful pirouettes--a wild delight. Very highly recommended. --Paul Cook