The surprise here is the Busoni, a miniature, only nine minutes long and written in 1920, six years before the Nielsen. Its quixotic changes of mood are a delight and they are superbly realized by the fine partnership between soloist and conductor, with the Leipzig orchestra creating deliciously vivid woodwind detail. I enjoyed this collection greatly. It is very well balanced and superbly recorded, though perhaps the ambience is a fraction too resonant, which means that the CD, splendid though it is, does not add a great deal to the LP or tape except, of course, the background silence. This has already been put down for inclusion in my 1986 ''Critics' Choice'' and I urge readers to try it. In whichever format chosen, it is immensely rewarding.

-- Ivan March, Gramophone