The Vox collection comes into direct competition with another enterprising programme, ‘From Jewish Life’ on Signum, which I reviewed favourably (6/04). While aficionados of Jewish music will surely want both discs, they involve considerable duplication, especially of the music of Bloch, and Bruch’s glorious Kol Nidrei. Both sets of performances are first-class and totally idiomatic, but I find the warmer, richer timbre of Inbal Segev even more satisfying than the slightly more restrained and subtle approach of Paul Marleyn, fine though his playing is. Segev’s performances are richly inspired, and often very moving indeed. Both artists have pianists who respond to their style admirably.

The Signum disc includes rather more traditional music, but the Vox programme offers four outstanding items by Joachim Stutschewsky, two equally memorable pieces by Paul Ben-Haim, and the lovely Hebrew Lullaby and Hebrew Melody of Joseph Achron. It also includes wonderful performances of two Ravel miniatures, and John Williams’s indelible theme from Schindler’s List. This Vox disc has general appeal, and I recommend it unreservedly.

The Hänssler features the clarinet as soloist, which can achieve a special colour in Hebrew music, if without quite the sinuous effect that the violin can call its own. The title is taken from two sets of Jewish Songs Without Words by the neglected Russian Grigory Krein (1879-1957) who studied under Reger. He attem- pted to integrate elements of Jewish music into turn-of-the century concert repertoire, and he does this quite evocatively in the Songs, particularly the second set. But the Berceuse funèbre and the Rhapsody are even more striking in their feeling of improvisational freedom within the Hebrew idiom, well captured here by Wolfgang Meyer and his sometimes more recessive accompanist.

Grigory’s son Julian (1913-96) carried on the tradition, if without quite such individuality. Israel Brandman’s confident set of variations on the Yiddish folk song Listen now beautiful girl is effective, moving from a synagogue-styled lament to an infectious moto perpetuo to an almost vocal recitative acting as an epilogue. The most overtly traditional music here is in the Hebrew Melodies in the form of a Suite which are at the centre of the programme. Simeon Bellison has skilfully arranged Grzegorz Fitelberg’s ‘To the wedding’ (the Procession very catchy), Jacob Weinberg’s charming Canzonetta, ‘Grandmother’s tale’, and Children’s Round, and Boris Levenson’s Hebrew Dance into a colourful and tuneful amalgam, much relished by the artists who are very well recorded.