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A disc which proves (perhaps unintentionally) how unfair it is that d'Indy should be known primarily for his Symphonic sur un chant montagnard francais (Symphonic évenole). This is a CD premiere for the three-movement Symphony Jour d'étC Li la montagne; a work that suggests deeper levels of...

Chailly restores grace and flow to "Gretchen" at a pace almost qualifying as an Andante (Liszt's marking). At a definite Adagio, and taking some four minutes longer in this second movement, are both Bernstein (DG) and Muti (EMI): in the delicately scored main theme (starting with oboe and solo...

There are already numerous excellent recordings of this work, and here's another, which for sheer technical accomplishment is at least as good as the best of them. Sabine Meyer's ensemble (she of course plays first clarinet) is marvellously warm and euphonious, and if there's a single note in the...

There are plenty of other recorded performances of Mozart's and Weber's concertos to choose from, even a couple of Spohr's, but these have acquired classic status. Dc Peyer is at his finest in Weber's work, which finds him relishing its drama and its technical challenge; he is sympathetically...

This issue comes into direct competition with the above-listed Chandos disc enthusiastically commended by RL. But the duplication is welcome, since each issue has some distinctive virtues. Broadly speaking the BIS soloists are more commanding and more romantically affectionate, the Chandos ones...