Alfano was nearly seventy when he began writing what was to be his last chamber piece, the Piano Quintet in A flat. Though a work of great maturity, it is surprisingly reminiscent of the Sonata, at least in the violin writing, which again has a high tessitura. In the previous decade Alfano had been through a mainly neo-Classical phase, and in earlier times had even had avant-gardist tendencies, but the beautifully scored, superbly lyrical Quintet represented, in Dryden’s words, “a vehement reaction against atonal and dodecaphonic music”. The jubilant moderato con grazia middle movement has moments of folk, jazz and musical theatre, yet its startling heterogeneity coheres expertly. Not to be overshadowed, the finale is pervaded with an exotic oriental flavour. Overall, Alfano’s Piano Quintet is an inspired work of considerable originality, dulcet, optimistic, indelible. Well performed by the five experienced soloists of the ad hoc quintet, even if the ensemble playing occasionally alludes to an imperfect mutual familiarity.

The mellow, slightly Jewish-sounding Nenia and the cheery, sassy Scherzino, transcriptions made in 1935 by Enrico Pierangeli, make ideal encore pieces to bring the CD to a close. Sound quality is good throughout.

…this disc…should at least get things moving in the right direction for this underrated composer.

The CD ends with a bipartite piece also in a world premiere recording. There’s the elfin delight of the chuckling and light-suffused Nenia contrasted with the skippingly pregnant tension and sweetly liquid triumphal progress of the Scherzino.

Dr Konrad Dryden is to be congratulated on his outstanding liner-note. …he delivers an attentive, well-structured and detailed account of the music and its context. For now though let’s hope for more of the concert music.