A beautiful, but practically unknown work:

Tadeusz Baird (1928-1981), Concerto lugubre for viola and orchestra
(1975)

Written in memory of the composer's mother; a recording is available on
Olympia, together with other works by Baird.  Or was - Olympia licensed
Polish recordings for three all-Baird CDs (plus some film music on other
CDs) and they were available for some years, but by now they are probably
oop. Sadly, except for some Lutoslawski's and Penderecki's music, Polish
LPs with Polish contemporary music are generally not available on CDs.

Baird's music deserves to be known better.  His music was very emotional,
mostly lyrical.  In some aspects reminds me of Berg, but "modernized"
and with very delicate, thin texture.  Something of Berg's melodics and
emotionality, filtered through Webern's textures.  One of his first modern
works, Four Essays for orchestra (1958) remains one of his best works.
Similar in style are Epiphany Music, Elegeia, and Four Novelettes.
Inexplicably forgotten are his cycles of songs for soprano or mezzo-soprano
and orchestra; but his vocal works for baritone and orchestra,
Goethe-Briefe and Voices from Afar, were recorded on Olympia.

Prior to ca.  1957-8 he wrote neo-classical music, and if he's known
at all to record collectors, it's for two works from that period: Love
Sonnets (Shakespeare) for baritone and small ensemble and Colas Breugnon,
an orchestral suite.  The Love Sonnets are beautiful, lyrical pieces,
written originally as incidental music; Colas Breugnon is a pleasant but
not very significant work.  Neither are representative of Baird's style,
but that's what one is most likely to find on CDs.

-Margaret Mikulska