Thompson: Symphonies, No. 2 & 3;

American composer Randall Thompson (1899-1984) wrote some of the most delightful orchestral work of any American composer of his generation, or beyond. Choral music was his first love, and his symphonies show a very song- like influence: he uses clear melodies, lucid themes. Things like that. Symphony 2 (1931) is full of spark and energy, typical of American composers of the 1930s and it is considered by many to be his best. Symphony 3 (1947-49) begins elegaically then bursts into high drama. Why this symphony isn't performed (or recorded) more is one hell of a mystery. Top-notch job by Andrew Schenck and the New Zealand Symphony. --Paul Cook