New recordings are captivating

ANNE AKIKO MEYERS, VIOLIN, GREGORY HUSTIS, FRENCH HORN, JAMES DIAZ, ORGAN, ANDREW LITTON, CONDUCTOR, DALLAS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA; Joseph Schwantner: "Angelfire"; "September Canticle" (Hyperion) *** 1/2

LEILA JOSEFOWICZ, VIOLIN, JOHN NOVACEK, PIANO; "Recital" (Warner Classics) *** 1/2

KEITH JARRETT, PIANO; Dmitri Shostakovich, 24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87 (ECM New Series) ****

• JOSEPH SCHWANTNER'S music is difficult to categorize. At times, it is almost expressionistic in its impact; at times it's quite romantic with tantalizing hints at minimalism. Yet no matter how one might be inclined to describe his works, one thing is certain — Schwantner writes descriptive music that is dramatic, intense, driven and utterly captivating.

Schwantner's music is also substantial and meaningful. There is nothing shallow or gratuitous. He is a significant composer who has something to say. And Hyperion's album contains some of the 63-year-old composer's finest works.

Two works in particular stand out among the four that are on this CD.

"Angelfire," for amplified violin and orchestra, is a compelling work that is forceful in its effect. Violinist Anne Akiko Meyers, for whom the work was written, gives a fabulously dynamic reading that captures the intensity and passion of the music.

"September Canticle" is a poignant tribute to the 9/11 attacks. Scored for organ, brass, percussion, amplified piano and strings, it is Coplandesque in its expressive writing and wonderfully moving.

"A Sudden Rainbow," for orchestra, and "Beyond Autumn," for French horn and orchestra — the other two works on the album — are no less compelling.

Conductor Andrew Litton elicits articulate and frequently virtuosic playing from the Dallas Symphony. He brings out the nuances in the scores, and the performances are radiantly vibrant and vivid.

• LEILA JOSEFOWICZ AND JOHN NOVACEK are the perfect musical couple. In both recitals and on recordings, the playing of violinist Josefowica and pianist Novacek is perceptive and intuitive. They bring articulated nuances and a wonderful balance to their performances.

Warner Classics' two-disc set features the pair in a wide range of works, from Olivier Messiaen's early Theme and Variations, to Maurice Ravel's Violin Sonata, Ludwig van Beethoven's Violin Sonata No. 10 and Johannes Brahms' Scherzo in C minor.