DAVIES: “IMAGE, REFLECTION, SHADOW,” “THE BAIRNS OF...

DAVIES: “IMAGE, REFLECTION, SHADOW,” “THE BAIRNS OF BRUGH,” “RUNES FROM A HOLY ISLAND.” The Fires of London conducted by Peter Maxwell Davies. Unicorn-Kanchana DKP-9033 (digital). In this five-year survey of Maxwell Davies’ writing for chamber ensemble, the 35-minute sextet, “Image, Reflection, Shadow,” commands most of the space and most of the attention, too. The composer guides his instruments through typically unusual pairings with a concertante cimbalom serving as the constant textural device throughout all three movements. The result is a superb, luminescent combination of austerity and sensuality. “The Bairns of Brugh” (1981) and “Runes From a Holy Island” find their inspiration in folk sources of the Orkney Islands, where Davies resides, though the odd jazz syncopation hints at a thorough and wonderfully intuited eclecticism. Revelatory performances by the composer’s hand-picked players.