Peter Breiner is one of the world’s most performed composer/arranger/conductors with record sales in the millions and over 200 album titles to his credit. He’s also well represented in the Naxos catalogue, not least for his monumental compendium of the National Anthems of the World (8.201002) and his hugely popular Beatles Go Baroque (8.555010) which represents some of his most commercially successful arrangements. Slovak Dances, Naughty and Sad will no doubt consolidate that excellent track record; it features Breiner’s typically colourful orchestration that includes a wide variety of tuned and untuned percussion. It’s also an extraordinary mix of world music, improvisation and symphonic composition, enhanced by the involvement of acclaimed specialist soloists such as multi-instrumentalist Marian Friedl and virtuoso accordionist Boris Lenko. This really is one not to be missed.