What You Need to Know: If you're a soundtrack purist, it's hard not to appreciate the work of Michael Nyman. While The Piano is hailed as one of his landmark scores, it was the music from Wonderland, The Claim, and Ravenous that really hooked me in. Indeed, his trademark style is always a joy to hear and with this release from Naxos, the enjoyment has been tripled!

This compilation is technically a new release, though you should note that the music for this volume (I-III) of the Composer's Cut was wrapped up in 2005. To read the explanation behind the purpose of this series is quite intrigiung, and it seems to make total sense -- the scores have matured and have taken on a new life. To have a composer that has enough pride to see the maturation of his works through to this end is highly respectable. It also turns out that Mr. Nyman's efforts have paid off with the result at hand; each of the three cd's in this set are nice scores to indulge in.

The CDs that are available in this release are The Libertine, The Piano, and a compilation entitled Nyman-Greenaway Revisited, which is a compilation from the director/composer team. With each disc, you're getting exactly what you would expect from a Nyman score; vintage melodies, modern classical themes, terrific counterpoints, and the bonus of improved, tweaked versions of original source material. Whether you go into this opportunity seeking to hear the subtle differences between old and new, or you are simply seeking a nice, tidy set of Nyman highlights, I doubt you will be turned away unhappily. This is the type of music that gives the listener confidence in knowing that he or she will hear music that was written and performed at a high level. And while Nyman's style does tread close to repetition in some cases, there are enough wrinkles in the writing and the direction he takes to make each album worth listening to in their own right. The best in this set, naturally, is The Piano, followed next by The Libertine, and finally, the Nyman-Greenaway collaboration. They're each sturdy enough to stand on their own, however; that they're part of a compiled release makes it all that much better.