Bob Draper wrote:

>Who? you might ask.  Well listen up because I have a revelation for you.
>
>This cd on Conifer 75605 512362 is a collection of Vasks' music.  It has
>the four movement, 20 minute, cor anglais concerto and 4 smaller pieces
>including one called 'message' from which the cd gets its name.

Teldec just released a CD with Vasks violin concerto (distant light)
played by Gidon Kremer and his Kremerata Baltica.  I know a lot of Vasks
music and I dare to say this is his most impressive piece I heard so far
(maybe next to the 2nd string quartet)!  Also on this disc is the string
symphony (voices).  Kremers violin in the concerto is simply overwhelming!
The symphony, written in 1991 is maybe the most recorded contemporary
classical piece of the nineties.  I know of 5 recordings (Conifer, Telarc,
Wergo, Finlandia and now Teldec).  Conifer has a little series on Vasks,
featuring 4 CDs.  The two Bob mentioned and two more discs with chamber
music.  I think they are all worth to get but especially the CD with the
three string quartets (Miami string quartet) is quite nice!  If you find
it, Collins released some time ago a CD by the Duke quartet caled *Baltic
Elegies*, or something like that, wich had a stunning recording of Vasks
2nd quartet and Erki-Sven Tuurs quartet!

If you like Vasks you might try Tuur (two umlaut u!).  ECM just released
a CD with his 3rd symphony, the Cello concerto and Lighthouse for strings
(Colin Davis and the Stuttgart SO, David Geringas cello).  Very nice stuff!

Achim Breiling