Parry (1848-1918) was part of that generation in England that was influenced not by the French, but the Germans--Brahms, Schumann, and Wagner. While Schumann is evident in Parry"s Symphony 1, by the time he gets around to writing his Symphony 2 ("The Cambridge") in 1882, he has discovered his true English heart. He still relies on the Mozart-Beethoven-Schumann four- movement symphony structure, but this just gives Parry more room to play with for his themes. His Symphonic Variations (1897) is on the order of Brahms"s Haydn Variations, but with an English flare. Superb series. --Paul Cook