Flute concertos gathered together can produce a certain sameness of texture (as in Vivaldi), although not perhaps in the hands of a highly individual flautist such as the late Richard Adeney. But not here either. Apart from the imaginative variety of invention in all four works, each of these Eastern European musicians varies the textures by adding other solo instruments. Three out of the four composers listed here suffered imprisonment: the Romanian Leon Klepper was incarcerated for making anti-fascist remarks and locked up from 1940 to 1942, and both the Czech Ervín Schulhoff and the Hungarian László Weiner died in Nazi concentration camps.

Yet all three left us a legacy of memorable music of real individuality. Weiner expanded his instrumentation to include an important and attractive piano part and the work opens almost like a concerto grosso. Yet its central Tranquillo, shared by flute and viola, has the delicacy of a gently dripping fountain and the finale is like a lively folk dance. Leon Klepper’s Concertino is also neo-classical but its moods are more ambivalent, the Andante mesto hauntingly introspective. The closing movement is marked vehemente and, though at first carefree, becomes increasingly angry.

Ervín Schulhoff opens his more expansively scored triptych with a motoric Allegro with all the participants kept very busy. The accompaniment feature two horns (unnamed) and a chamber group of strings, used exuberantly in the tuttis of the outer movements. In the contrast of the solemn, expressive Andante, the flute and piano have a pensive dialogue. The closing Rondo is marked con spirito and ends the concerto with gusto, with the horns roistering, though the flute both provides moments of charm and joins the piano in attractive sequences of virtuosity.

Ernest Bloch is the most familiar name here and his delightful Concertino opens with a catchy folk-like theme on the viola, heard over plucked strings. This is taken up by the flute, and the viola soon establishes a countermelody. The rather wisful Andante follows without a break, transforming the same theme, shared by the orchestral strings and soloists. The finale begins with a cheerful fugue, which dances along jauntily and briefly produces a winning closing polka. This surely is a miniature masterpiece and ought to be heard much more often, as indeed should the other three works here, when they are so felicitously played and expertly recorded.