Album: Anthony Hopkins, Composer (Classic FM)

Sir Anthony Hopkins' muse, judging by this debut selection of his compositions performed by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, is rooted in impressionism.

Accordingly, the most successful pieces are those which convey the most specific memories: in "Margam", wistful piano heralds a lilting orchestral reverie that's genuinely moving, while his 1947 suite opens with an evocative portrait of "Circus" that skilfully juggles both lumbering elephant processional and the air of enchanting mystery, before closing with "The Plaza", a tribute to post-war cinema incorporating Latin commotion and middle-eastern intrigue. Less successful is "Amerika", in which the blocky elements are too abruptly sequenced. Overall, though, there's musical talent lurking behind that warmly sinister visage.

DOWNLOAD THIS Margam; 1947; Stella