The not inconsiderable literature on Cardew frequently gives a view of him (merely) as a ‘man of ideas’, rather than as a composer of music whose qualities need no moral support from their conceptual infrastructure, and which may be judged on the same level as any music by composers less concerned than he was with the nature and status of themselves and their work.

A composer can't, and shouldn't, expect to please everybody. What is really important to me is whether what I've produced is exactly what I mean, and on that I'm prepared to stand. That doesn't imply, of course, that I don't think that some of my works are better than others – that is inevitable. One of the problems in modern music is that some composers tend to feel that they should be saying what they ought to mean; they're thinking about the process of writing too much, and relying too little on the tremendous power of the instinct, which must be trusted in the end.

Philip Grange celebrates his fiftieth birthday this year. Camden Reeves talked to the composer about the ideas, influences and sources of inspiration behind his music.

BRIAN FERNEYHOUGH: Shadowtime. Nicolas Hodges (pno, speaker), Mats Scheidegger (gtr), Neue Vocalsolisten Stuttgart, Nieuw Ensemble, c. Jurjen Hempel. NMC D123 (2-CD set).

BARRY: The Intelligence Park. Richard Jackson (bass bar), Paul Harhy (ten), Sephen Richardson (bass), Angela Tunstall (sop), Nicholas Clapton (counter-ten), Buddug Verona James (contralto), Almeida Ensemble c. Robert Houlihan. NMC D122

BEN JOHNSTON: String Quartets Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 9. The Kepler Quartet. New World Records 80637–2.

MARTIN BRESNICK: My Twentieth Century. Robert Van Slice, Kunihiko Komori, Izumi Sinfonietta Osaka c. Norichika Iimori; Taimur Sullivan, Maya Beiser, Steven Schick, Povera Players. New World 80635–2.

JULIUS EASTMAN: Unjust Malaise. The Creative Associates at SUNY Buffalo, New Music America, Julius Eastman, Frank Ferko, Janet Kattas, Patricia Martin. New World 80638-2 (3-CD set).

KYLE GANN: Long Night. Sarah Cahill (pnos). Cold Blue CB0019.

JEREMY DALE ROBERTS: Winter Music; Croquis (selection); Oggetti – Omaggio à Morandi; Wieglied; Layers; Hamadryad. Hiroaki Takenouchi (pno), Dimitri Murrath (vla), Lontano c. Odaline de la Martinez. Lorelt LNT118.

NICHOLAS SACKMAN: Scorpio; Time-piece (revised 2002); Cross hands; Koi; Sonata for trombone and piano (revised 1999), Sextet for wind. Fine Arts Brass Quintet and various artists. Metier MSV CD92049.

TOM INGOLDSBY: Dialogues; Piano Sonata; Trio (Sonata for Violin, Viola and Piano); After the Eulogy. Adam Summerhayes (vln), Bridget Carey (vla), Alan Brown (pno), Catherine Summerhayes (pno), Clive Williamson (pno). Meridian CDE 84534.

‘North Star’. Works by HUW WATKINS, DIANA BURRELL, JAMES MACMILLAN, RHIAN SAMUEL, RUTH BYRCHMORE, JOHN HAWKINS, ROBIN HOLLOWAY. Deborah Calland (tpt), William Whitehead (organ). Deux-Elles DXL 1097 (www.deuxelles.com).

BERG Opera: Lulu. Lisa Saffer (sop), Susan Parry (mezzo), Robert Hayward (bar), John Graham-Hall (ten), Gwynne Howell (bass), Robert Poulton (bar), Stuart Kale (ten), Anna Burford, Graeme Danby (bass), Alan Oke (ten), Roger Begley (bass), Claire Mitcher (sop), Paul Napier-Burrows (bass), Jane Powell (mezzo), Moira Harris (sop), Toby Stanford-Allen (bar). English National Opera Orchestra c. Paul Daniel. Chandos Opera In English CHAN 3130 (3-CD set).

YORK BOWEN: Viola Concerto in C minor, op.25. CECIL FORSYTH: Viola Concerto in G minor. Lawrence Power (vla), BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra c. Martyn Brabbins. Hyperion CDA67546.

BOWEN: Viola Concerto; Viola Sonata No.2 in F major; Melody for the C string, op.51 no.2. Doris Lederer (vla), with Czech Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra c. Paul Polivnick, Bruce Murray (pno). Centaur CRC 2786.

BOWEN: Viola Concerto. WALTON: Viola Concerto in A minor. HOWELLS: Elegy for viola, string quartet and string orchestra. VAUGHAN WILLIAMS: Suite for viola and orchestra (Group I). Helen Callus (vla), New Zealand Symphony Orchestra c. Marc Taddei. ASV CD DCA 1181.

ROREM: Flute Concerto; Violin Concerto; Pilgrims for strings. Philippe Quint (vln), Jeffrey Khaner (fl), Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra c. José Serebrier. Naxos American Classics 8.559278.

ROREM: The Auden Songs; The Santa Fe Songs. Christopher Lemmings (ten), Sara Fulgoni (mezzosop), Chamber Domaine. Black Box BBM 1104.

ROREM: Works for Choir and Organ. Harvard University Choir dir. Murray Forbes Somerville with Carson Cooman (organ). Black Box BBM 1102.

ARTHUR BUTTERWORTH: Piano Trios 1 and 2; Viola Sonata. Raphael Terroni (pf), John Trusler (vln), Fiona Murphy (vlc), Morgan Goff (vla). Dutton Epoch CDLX 7164

FARKAS: Serenade for woodwind quintet; Quattro Pezzi for double bass and woodwind; Gyümölcskosár (‘Fruit Basket’); Old Hungarian Dances of the 17th Century; Rondo capriccio; Lavottiana. Ulrike Schneider (mezzosop), Daniel Dodds (vln), Dieter Lange (db), Phoebus Quintet. Toccata Classics TOCC 0019.

SESSIONS: String Quintet; Canons (to the memory of Stravinsky); 6 Pieces for solo cello; String Quartet No 1 in E minor. The Group for Contemporary Music. Naxos 8.559261.

Rapsodi: Albanian piano music Volume 2. Kirsten Johnson (pno). Guild GMCD 7300.

FRITZ BRUN: Symphony No. 9; Aus dem Buch Hiob (Symphonische Dichtung). Moscow Symphony Orchestra c. Adriano. Guild GMCD 7306.

SCHOECK: String Quartet No. 2 in C major. FRITZ BRUN: String Quartet No. 3 in F major. Amar Quartett. Musiques Suisses MGB CD 6238.

HANS SCHAEUBLE: String Quartet op.19. MEINRAD SCHÜTTER: String Quartet. ERICH SCHMID: String Quartet op. 4. casalQUARTETT Zurich. Guild GMCD 7303.

CYRIL SCOTT: Piano Concerto No.1; Symphony No.4; Early One Morning. Howard Shelley (pno), BBC Philharmonic c. Martyn Brabbins. Chandos CHAN 10376.

SCOTT: Complete Piano Music Volume One – Suites and Miniatures. Leslie De'Ath, Cyril Scott (pnos). Dutton Epoch CDLX 7150 (2-CD set).

SCOTT: Complete Piano Music Volume Two – Complete Piano Sonatas. Leslie De'Ath (pno). Dutton Epoch CDLX 7155.

SCOTT: Complete Piano Music Volume Three – Concert Pieces, Ballet Scores, Unpublished Works, Two-piano Works. Leslie De'Ath, Anya Alexeyev (pnos). Dutton Epoch CDLX 7166 (2-CD set).

SCOTT: Sonata op.66; Second Sonata; Sonata III; Sphinx op.63; Rainbow Trout; Rondeau de Concert; Ballad; Victorian Waltz. Michael Schäfer (pno). Genuin GEN 85049.