George Antheil’s musical reputation rests predominantly upon his Ballet Mécanique. This represented the climax of his period with the French ‘avant-garde’. It achieved massive notoriety on both sides of the Atlantic through its bizarre orchestra of pianos, percussion, electric buzzers and aeroplane propellers. Musically it is one of the masterpieces of the early twentieth century, and looked at culturally it represents a fine example of the spirit of the time’ that was prevalent in Paris during the early 1920s. The Symphony for Five Instruments was the first work that Antheil composed following his arrival in Paris and he lavished great care on it. Clearly influenced by another ‘enfant terrible’ of the period, Igor Stravinsky, it is full of high spirits as well as possessing an element of mystery. The Concert for Chamber Orchestra dates from 1932, immediately prior to Antheil’s return to America, and the Serenade for String Orchestra was composed there in 1948. Both works display considerable invention, as well as the wide range of mood that Antheil was able to create musically.