Music for wind ensemble is an important strand in Czech musical culture; , in the early 19th century, was a key contributor to the genre, and many composers in the early 20th century wrote wind works. Even those who moved away from Czech lands, including (who ran away from home at ten by jumping onto a passing cart), gravitated toward the genre. The works here are all splendid examples, and the charm that the members find in them is palpable. The best, perhaps, is saved for last, with 's ; this subtle work went perhaps further than any other of the time in incorporating jazz influences without ever really sounding like jazz, and the players are wonderfully sensitive to the feel of the syncopations. The , was one of 25 that he wrote, and one easily understands their popularity. , written in 1924 when the composer was 70, lives up to its name with a truly ebullient finale that challenges the players to produce perfect coordination; they manage it. The wind writing in the , of , doomed to death at Auschwitz, is gorgeous. These works have been recorded before by Czech groups and a few others, but the combination of precision and fun here can stand with any other performances. ' church sound is not idiomatic but is not distracting. ~ James Manheim