It’s good to see the music of the Munich-born Israeli composer Paul Ben-Haim receiving increasing attention from record companies. The Symphony No 1 and Pastorale variée have been recorded before but this is the first appearance of the tone poem Pan for soprano and orchestra, completed in 1931 while Ben-Haim was still living in Germany. This evocative and ravishing setting of a text by the German poet Heinrich Lautensack makes a strong impression. There are echoes of works such as Ravel’s Shéhérazade and Zemlinsky’s Lyric Symphony in the writing, but the word-setting is sensitive, the scoring sumptuous and the melodic inspiration inspired. It’s difficult to imagine the work receiving a more sympathetic and impassioned performance than this one by Claudia Barainsky and Omer Meir Wellber.

The First Symphony was composed for the newly formed Palestine Symphony Orchestra in 1939-40 and, as the composer acknowledged, was influenced by the events in Europe and beyond at that time. The tempestuous and dramatic outer movements evoke a warlike mood, the sound of the snare drum prominent in both, and even the serene opening of the slow movement, inspired by Jewish prayer melodies, soon develops into a tumultuous climax. Wellber’s performance is notably tauter than Israel Yinon’s 2008 recording for CPO and communicates the restless energy of the piece extremely well.

The Pastorale variée of 1945 is an arrangement for clarinet, strings and harps of the final movement of Ben-Haim’s earlier Quintet for clarinet and string quintet. The mood is for the most part gentle and wistful, although the fifth and penultimate movement is a lively dance which incorporates elements of Arab music and other local influences. Clarinettist John Bradbury gives an excellent performance of this poetic and moving work.

There’s a slight edge to the recording of the symphony in louder passages but fortunately this is not an issue in Pan and Pastorale variée. The detailed and informative booklet note by the composer and academic Michael Wolpe is one of the best I’ve ever read. Altogether, a very worthwhile and rewarding release.