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Robert Craft has always been controversial as a conductor, so I was interested to sample this ongoing series. I found it patchy and, ultimately, disappointing.

Pulcinella (complete) goes well in the orchestral sections and the Philharmonia plays with style. Diana Montague sings prettily, but the contributions of the male soloists are sub-standard. The four pieces for clarinet solo (not the usual three - there's a tiny extra one, Pour Pablo Picasso) are well played by Charles Neidich. The outer movements of the piano concerto sound edgy and insecure; there have been several better versions. Best here is Dances concertantes, a warm, affectionate performance of a work which can sometimes sound very dry.

For a major production the presentation is deplorable, and should have been corrected before Vol.3. The text (English only) is given in large print on thick glossy paper, with no attempt at graphic design. Only one recording date is supplied (1997, the piano concerto). No track times are given and I had to obtain the (generous) total time from my CD player. Not recommendable.

Reviewer

Peter Grahame Woolf

no star rating

Reviewer

Peter Grahame Woolf

no star rating

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