JANIS IVANOVS is considered Latvia's most distinguished symphonist. His grasp of orchestral colour and musical texture was so extraordinary that his colleagues often praised him for his precise and expressive musical idiom. Just as few in the West had heard of Inessa Galante before the break-up of the Soviet Union, few were aware of this most prominent Latvian composer of the 20th century, Janis Ivanovs. Like Prokofiev and Shostakovich, Ivanovs survived conflicts with the Stalinist authorities, was even sometimes in official favour, but unlike Russian composers of that era he was a citizen of an occupied territory and the chances of his greatness being recognised outside his native Latvia were seriously compromised. He was also, to a large extent, cut off from outside developments in music, although his early symphonies and tone poems show him very attentive to musical trends. Apart from a short experimental period, he remained a very melodic composer, with roots in romanticism, developing his own voice in the isolation of his occupied homeland. Now Latvia has regained its independence it is proud to reveal his talents to the world.