This interesting, relatively non-representative sampling of the late composer Lou Harrison�s works concentrates on pieces for small ensembles with and without singers. His lifelong obsession with gamelan and other Asian musical forms appears only sporadically.

�Marriage at the Eiffel Tower,� music written to accompany a Jean Cocteau theatrical production in 1949, is an odd little joy, ranging from a Gershwinian opening, all urban hustle and bustle, to back and forth banter between male and female characters, mock marches and a surrealist funeral dirge. It�s a rather lovely, if slight, piece. From the same year we hear �The Only Jealousy of Emer,� composed for a Yeats dance-play. It�s a lush and gorgeous work for a sextet that includes tack piano (a piano with nails stuck in the hammers to produce a percussive sound, possibly chosen here to imitate the sound of a dulcimer) and makes wonderful use of deeply bowed bass and cello as well as celesta. In this piece, rhythms and drones are up front and, while not appearing to specifically refer to gamelan, have something of that music�s irresistible forward propulsion. Similarly, the lovely �Music for Remy,� a duet for flute and percussion (William Winant) from 1998 snakes through a wondrous array of rhythms and colors, alluding to disparate cultures but sounding very much of its time.

�Arias from Young Caesar,� adapted in 2000 from a 1971 composition, sets soprano and tenor songs over light, gamelan style accompaniment (the storyline deals with a homosexual liaison between Caesar and Nicomedes, King of Bithynia). Although Harrison imparts a vaguely Southeast Asian tonality to the voices, they retain enough of a European essence to sit rather uneasily with the instrumental music. It�s very pretty on the one hand, but ambiguously off-putting on the other. Depending on one�s tolerance for religious vocal music, the same might be said for his �Mass to St. Anthony� and �Easter Cantata.� They�re attractive in a sense but just enough this side of kitschy to cause one a bit of discomfort, like a well-painted portrait of a blond, blue-eyed Jesus. Still, if one can shed such inhibitions and simply wallow in the sonic richness to be found, it�s entirely possible to tarry in pleasant fashion.

Works 1939-2000 is not an essential Lou Harrison release, but fans will certainly find much to enjoy as well as two or three sterling performances.