Beautifully Played Music by Igor Raykhelson reviewed by PATRIC STANDFORD Toccata Classics    TOCC 0055

From what was Leningrad where he was born in 1961, to New York where he and his fellow soloists now live, Igor Raykhelson has been immensely active touring internationally as a jazz pianist, playing at major festivals both east and west, and often giving recitals with, among others, his close friend and colleague the viola player Yuri Bashmet who also conducts the Moscow Soloists here. His music clearly carries jazz influences. The Little Symphony for Strings in G minor is, like most of his music, rather naïve, although the outer movements of this four movement piece enclose a neat and lively little scherzo [listen -- track 2, 0:01-0:25].

Here then is the pervading flavour and style of his work generally. There are no dates attached to the pieces, though a summary of titles produced over the last four years suggest a prolific production. Reflections for violin, viola and strings are subdued and seem to evoke Richard Strauss or latter day Ernest Bloch, as does the Adagio for viola and strings [listen -- track 6, 0:01-1:40] beautifully played by Bashmet in whom he is fortunate to have a fine interpreter.

Joining Bashmet in the seven movements of Jazz Suite is saxophonist Igor Butman for a performance of a work specially written for them all, and one in which the composer also takes his place as pianist. It is all very entertaining and, like the other pieces, bound -- perhaps even confined -- by traditional forms and idioms, yet certainly enjoying the superb interaction of its distinguished performers for its success [listen -- track 9, 0:00-1:14].

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Record Box is Music & Vision's regular series of shorter CD reviews