Samuel Coleridge-Taylor’s Four Novelletten is scored for string orchestra, plus a small percussion “section” of tambourine and triangle adding extra color. Although the British composer lived only to age 37, his music found great success in his lifetime, particularly his Song of Hiawatha cantatas, and his popularity extended to the U.S., where he made three major tours. The Four Novelletten, which dates from 1903, begins with an Allegro moderato—graceful, ballet-like music in triple meter.

Recorded on April 2, 2021, at Orchestra Hall, conducted by Sarah Hicks