Leos Janacek was clearly one of the 20th century's great composers and while his operas and orchestral works are widely performed, his chamber works are nearly well kept secrets. And so it is with pleasure that this completely unique recital by two of our finest musicians joins the CD repertoire.

Janacek's 'The Diary of One Who Disappeared' is related to his operas in the dramatic intensity of the writing. Composed as his only song cycle the work is designated 'song cycle for mezzo-soprano, tenor, female chorus & piano' but in reality it is primarily a work for tenor and piano. In the hands of Ian Bostridge, whose Czech pronunciation is wholly convincing, the plight of the young man who leaves both family and town behind to follow the love for a gypsy is full of folk melodies and intense passion. Brilliant composer/conductor/pianist Thomas Ades provides the sensitive collaboration and the two are joined by mezzo Ruby Philogene as the gypsy and as part of the three voice female chorus offstage along with Diane Atherton and Deryn Edwards. This is a deeply moving work and the performance is first rate.

Filling out the recital Thomas Ades performs Janacek's works for piano, including excerpts from 'Intimate Sketches' and 'Moravian Folk songs'. His playing is subtle, intuitive and he finds all the quirky rhythms and soulful melodies inherent in Janacek's writing. Ades continues to be an outstanding piano soloist as well as one of the most important composers today. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, February 06

Leos Janaček (1854-1928) was (and remains) an important Czech composer. As a young man he became friends with Dvorak and was one of the early so-called nationalist composers. This movement urged its composers to write music of their homeland and Janaček was among the early group who turner to the folk songs of his native land for source stylistic materials. Many others followed his lead in their own lands (think of Kodaly, Bartok, and even Stravinsky as examples of a much larger group).

This disk contains his only surviving song cycle - which is really a kind of song drama. It is based on some poems that appeared in a newspaper and caught the composer's eye. He clipped them out and took them with him on a trip to a spa and began working on the songs. The poems were published anonymously and were ostensibly by a rustic farm boy who is lured away by a gypsy and is never heard from again. It turns out they were by Ozef Kalda (the pseudonym of Josef Kalda (1871-1921). The songs are mostly for the tenor, but the gypsy makes her appearance, as do three female voices urging the boy to follow the gypsy. Ian Bostridge is superb as the rustic who disappeared and Ruby Philogene is fine as the gypsy.

The pianist, Thomas Ades, not only accompanies the song cycle, he also plays some wonderful solo pieces. One set is of piano pieces based on Moravian folk songs and then there is a set of miscellaneous pieces. All are quite short, but very expressive. Ades is a fine and expressive artist.

The disk concludes with earlier versions of two of the songs from the song cycle.

I think it is always good to stretch your musical experience. This music is quite different than the German, Italian, French art music and song writing that you are probably more used to hearing. This music, while certainly tonal, is quite different in harmonic language, melodic angularity and spacing. Enjoy!