Recordings throughout are of the highest quality, and it is very good to think that Lourié’s music, which was for so long neglected, is being revived in the hands of musicians such as these.

However you sum him up, stylistically, his remains a cultured, cultivated and agreeably cosmopolitan voice, drawing on Russian and French traditions to irradiate the ritual formality of his music.

Sunrise is a perfect example of how Lourié infused the French style with stronger, somewhat Russian rhythms, but the ensuing Pastorale de la Volga is even better. This is an utterly fascinating piece that seems to consist of unrelated musical gestures in contrasting rhythms, at least at first, using bitonality throughout. It sounds something like Igor Stravinsky played in reverse...all of the pieces on this CD are played brilliantly and give a good indication of what he was all about.