I consider Toch’s Piano Quintet not only one of his best, but one of the Twentieth Century’s. Toch stuffs it with strong invention and exciting counterpoint. The work has four movements: “The Lyrical Part,” “The Whimsical Part,” “The Contemplative Part,” “The Dramatic Part.” I know of few other chamber pieces so satisfying in its entire design as this one.

A bit of music on this disc is tough going—the first movement of the Violin Sonata, for instance. Overwhelmingly, though, it’s glorious. Toch is especially irresistible when he enters his riotous skipping, jumping zone, as he does in the sonata finale and in “The Juggler,” one of the piano Burlesken, which is like a toccata. But the Impromptus for solo cello (written for Gregor Piatigorsky) are engaging in a different, more lyrical way. It’s cute how Toch, in Hollywood style, named the movements of his Viola Quintet “The Lyrical Part,” “The Whimsical Part,” “The Contemplative Part” and “The Dramatic Part.” Thanks to Naxos, the Ernst Toch Society and the Aaron Copland Fund for Music for dusting off this enjoyable music.