The Butterfly Lovers Concerto belongs to China’s communist era; the work of students Chen Gang (b1935) and He Zhanho (b1933), it’s based on a Chinese folk tale and uses traditional themes. The narrative concerns two student comrades, one a girl dressed as a boy. She falls in love with her partner, but is too shy to reveal her true gender. Too late, the hero discovers his comrade is a girl and promised in an aranged marriage. He dies of unhappiness. On her wedding day the bride insists on mourning at the grave. A thunderstorm breaks out, the grave opens, she leaps in, and it closes again as a rainbow appears. Two butterflies emerge and fly away: the lovers are united for ever.

It is not easy to relate the music to the narrative except for the engaging languorous melodies, often heard on the flute as well as the violin, which obviously relate to the lovers. There is lively dance music and passages of vigorous melodrama in the central section. But the concerto is beautifully scored and finally the main romantic theme blossoms, first richly on the strings, and then the full orchestra, before the delicate solo passages return on violin and flute. Takako Nishizaki was a natural choice of soloist for this disarmingly attractive work, for she has recorded it before and became a major star in China, selling more than three million copies! She plays with great tenderness, her slightly fragile (yet warm) timbre conjuring up the prettiest pair of butterflies.

The Songs and Dances from the Silk Road by the Slovak composer Peter Breiner (b1957) are based on Chinese folk songs. There are nine movements. The first, ‘A beloved rose’ is seductive and Nishizaki plays it sweetly; the second, ‘The half moon climbs’ is rather like a film theme while No 3, ‘Spinning’ opens atmospherically and has a rather slinky violin theme against the rippling background ostinato. One of the highlights is the Fifth movement, ‘Sa li hong ba’, which opens with a languorous horn solo, but is led into a charming and jaunty dance by the soloist.

The sixth, ‘Lan hua hua’, brings another wistful opening flute solo, much in the style of Butterfly Lovers – here the song tells of a young girl forced to marry a rich husband. The scoring of the strongly rhythmic No 8 is more Westernised and includes bongo drums, and the final dance begins with a rhythm which would not be out of place in the music of Falla.

The performances are once again excellent, with plentiful passages of bravura for the soloist which are thrown off with aplomb. James Judd and the New Zealnd Symphony Orchestra plainly enjoy their oriental trip, and play with spirit; their principal flute shows a real feeling for the more undulating melodies and the recording is excellent.