Glasgow Singers, BBC Scottish SO/Ilan Volkov Hyperion CDA 67856****

This is a selection of orchestral works by Liszt in lugubrious mood. Two of the three funeral odes were prompted by the deaths of two of his children – the first of them adds a chorus to the orchestra. His last symphonic poem, From the cradle to the grave, was inspired by a drawing by Mihály Zichy, which depicts birth, struggle and death. And the Two Episodes from Lenau's Faustinclude the well-known Mephisto Waltz, preceded by a longer, altogether more disturbing piece, prompted by Faust's reactions to a religious procession he meets at night. Much of the music exists in numerous versions for other forces. Ilan Volkov's sensitively atmospheric performances never overplay their hand, and make one wish this rarely heard music would make it more often in to the concert hall. See url.ie/4qdb