Kuan: Memory of Mountain / Hoffman, J: Nautilus Symmetry Violin Concerto No 2 'Snow in Spring'

Nai-Chung Kuan's Memory of Mountain, originally a banhu concerto and here recast for the violin, is inspired by the magnificent scenery and culture of Taiwan's Alishan mountains, and explores three scenic topics employing native instruments to great effect. Joel Hoffman's music draws from such diverse sources as Eastern European folk music and American bebop, remaining full of lyricism and rhythmic vitality. Nautilus Symmetry, his first work for full Chinese orchestra, and Violin Concerto No. 2 'Snow in Spring', display a love of plucked string instruments and traditional Chinese melodies expressed in a style that is recognisably his own.