The terse (23-minute), three-movement Fourth Symphony of 25 years later reveals a more mature composer writing in a fresher, more acerbic idiom. Giannini's progress somewhat recalls that of Roussel, moving from Romantic to spiky (but still basically lyrical) neoclassicism. The use of fourth-based harmony somewhat recalls Hindemith, though with more colorful orchestration and more fluid rhythms. Again, the performance has plenty of the necessary rhythmic thrust, and the sound is good, but with some odd balances typical of Naxos productions in Bournemouth--an exaggerated front-to-back depth--but this never gets in the way of the music itself. More Giannini, please.

--David Hurwitz