The Silk Road connecting China with Europe since ancient times has always been a medium of cultural exchange between East and West – reflected here in a trio of works - Alexander Borodin’s well-known “In The Steppes of Central Asia”, Ferruccio Busoni’s “Turandot Suite” and the 1955 orchestral suite “Silk Road” by the Japanese composer Ikuma Dan (1924-2001). A prolific scorer of films, Dan left behind a considerable body of work besides, including symphonies, operas and chamber music. For this Coviello CD, the Swiss ‘argovia philharmonic’ is led by its current Music Director Douglas Bostock.