Sessions: Symphony No. 2 / Harbison: Symphony No. 2; Oboe Concerto

John Harbison (b. 1938) and Roger Sessions (1896-1985) are two of America's least-appreciated composers. Their strengths come from their mixture of Modernistic effects with a solid Romantic lyicism at their base. Both Harbison's Oboe Concerto and Symphony 2 show this. Intellectually, the Symphony is more appealing; it appears more richly textured and robust than the Concerto, which is a more formal construct. Sessions's Symphony 2 has a kind of cosmopolitan busyness to it, akin to much of Leonard Bernstein's work, minus the distinct themes and melodies. Fans of the American symphony will enjoy this collection. --Paul Cook