Yet even the slightest piano trifles can sound like mini-masterpieces when the performer takes the trouble to play them artistically. And that's precisely what Ashley Wass does. His instinctive, natural sounding rubato and gift for lyrical inflection ennoble pieces such as Une idylle (originally for violin and piano) and Carissima. The Sonatina's brisk second movement is imaginatively pointed, and seems to dance off the page.

Although the Enigma Variations' textual complexity and orchestral ingenuity are considerably compromised in Elgar's keyboard reworking (those horrid silent-movie tremolos in the finale!), much of the music proves quite effective in purely pianistic terms. For example, you might consider Variation Eleven (G.R.S.) the love child of Brahms and Rachmaninov, while Variation Three (R.B.T.) takes on a more austere personality. Without the orchestra's sustaining power, the theme and the famous Ninth Variation (Nimrod) can easily fall apart, yet Wass' concentrated phrasing, chord voicings, and control of dynamics substantiate his slow tempos. There's enough Elgar piano music to fill another volume; will Naxos and Wass follow suit.

The answer is, on the whole, that this is a perfectly workable transcription, though one not always helped by Wass�s choice of tempo. The Theme is ponderous and suffers from an advanced case of phrase droop. C.A.E. isn�t sufficiently characterised so as to allow differentation from the opening theme � a dose of the pianistic equivalent of Toscanini or Monteux would have helped tremendously here. Once past these moments though and things are very much better. H.D.S.-P emerges as a surprisingly toccata-like affair in Wass�s hands. He drives into the striding left hand patterns of W.M.B. and brings real dignity to R.P.A. He lays Isobel bare in the wittiest terms and also brings a commensurate sense of chordal warmth. Nimrod is not too slow and gathers in power and passion whilst we can trace Schumann in Dorabella, as we perhaps fail to do in the orchestral version. B.G.N. is impressive; Wass has it splendidly. And the finale is graced with dynamic tremolos to bring the work to a rousing conclusion.

Most of the other pieces are cut from salon cloth. The Sonatina is a generously generic two movement affair. Like his early violin pieces I think you�d be very hard pressed to name the composer. Its melody lines however are characteristically pretty and like those violin works � though much less technically demanding � it makes for pleasant listening. Dream Children survives the transcription even for those of us whose memories turn back to 78s. Une Idylle wears its frank salon charms with unselfconscious ease. May Song was written in 1901 � rather late to be hinting at Chopin, or perhaps it�s never too late to hint at Chopin. And Wass proves adept at Elgarian rubato in S�r�nade Mauresque which moves easily and with grace at a good tempo.

The arrangements work well � even Carissima, which I thought wouldn�t. The recording at St George�s Church, Brandon Hill is excellent and the performances, once the Enigma has settled down, are thoroughly convincing.

Wass continues with an arrangement of the nostalgic Dream Children. This is a work that falls into the same category as the Wand of Youth Suites and Nursery Suite. It is perhaps epitomised by the inscription on the score, an excerpt from an essay by Charles Lamb: �We are not of Alice, nor of thee, nor are we children at all ..... We are nothing; less than nothing, and dreams. We are only what might have been ...." Alice was perhaps to be identified in the composer�s mind with the Windflower � his �friend� and �confidante�. Elgar once told Sir Sidney Colvin: "I am still at heart the dreamy child who used to be found in the reeds by Severnside, with a sheet of paper trying to fix the sounds and longing for something very great."

Une Idylle (1884) was originally composed for violin and piano and was a part of Elgar�s Op. 4 which also includes a Pastourelle and a Virelai. The three pieces were dedicated to a certain E.E in Inverness and were composed in remembrance of a holiday romance. The Idylle is a typical wistful piece that serves its intention well.

Wass then jumps forward some thirty years to 1913. The attractive Carissima was originally composed for small orchestra. Apparently the material was derived from some of Elgar's musical sketchbooks. Curiously this orchestral miniature was destined to become the first piece that Sir Edward recorded for HMV. As the programme notes point out this is a work that has �immediate appeal, in the composer�s unmistakable musical language�.

May Song was another piece originally composed for violin and piano and is a fine example of the better kind of salon music that was so prevalent at the turn of the century. The middle �trio� is absolutely perfect in its balance and sentiment.

Douce Pens�e (Rosemary) is another fine example of the genre and is subtitled �For Remembrance.� But somehow I think this epithet may have been for the publisher and his public rather than representing the composer�s autobiographical thoughts.

I must confess that I just love Echo�s Dance (1917) from The Sanguine Fan. Once again we have a work that was inspired by Lady Alice Stuart-Wortley who is better known to Elgarians as �Windflower�. She suggested to the composer that he write a ballet: it was to be a charity affair raising funds to help with �Concerts at the Front�. The libretto is basically about Pan and Echo � playing their duets in a Watteau-inspired landscape. The title of the ballet derives from a painted fan by a local artist depicting the two gods. �Sanguine� actually refers to a red chalk that was the artist�s medium - so is largely incidental to the plot of the ballet.

The last of the miniatures is the �Serenade mauresque� which the programme notes suggest seems to drift back and forth between the shores of Spain and the Malvern Hills. It is the piece I least enjoyed yet the �English� bit is quite attractive, the Spanish perhaps a bit derivative. It was the second of the Three Characteristic Pieces Op.10.

It is not necessary to discuss the Enigma Variations in any great detail as it is possibly one of the best known works by Elgar and in fact by any British composer. I was not too sure how to approach this piano �reduction�. Was it worth listening to? Or is it just a kind of study aid?

I was surprised to find out that there are at least two other versions currently available including Anthony Goldstone [MRCD94001] playing Elgar�s Broadwood piano and Maria Garzon on ASV [CDDCA1065] - so that gave me some confidence in the work. I was a bit concerned about the provenance of this transcription � was it by Elgar himself or by someone at a later date? A brief look at Elgar�s �Letters to his Publisher� revealed that the piano version was presented to Novellos at the same time as the orchestral score.

Let me say straightaway that I was seriously impressed by the clarity of the work. The piano version, although obviously simplified, brings out lines of musical thought, harmonies and nuances that appear to be lost in the more complex orchestral score. Much as I love the orchestral version � especially when conducted by Sir Adrian Boult - I do feel that this piano transcription deserves a life of its own.

As with all CDs released by Anthony Wass the piano playing is excellent. As noted above, the structure of the Enigma Variations is revealed as I have never heard it before. He does not play the �salon� pieces in a style that is patronising, but reveals the wistfulness and longing that are inherent in their style.