These performances of Rossini overtures are delightful–and very different from what we often hear today. Giulini’s natural warmth makes the music sound very humane, with characterfully phrased solo lines and less of the hair-trigger discipline that some listeners might prefer. Certainly there’s excitement aplenty in William Tell’s gallop, or in the strutting marches of La gazza ladra, and the Rossini crescendos benefit from the conductor’s care with dynamics and from his very sensitive handling of the percussion section. Taken as a whole, Giulini makes much of the competition sound just a bit cold and mechanical by comparison, and the only weak link is that typically honky Philharmonia principal oboe, a timbre thankfully long-since banished from most English orchestras. Excellently remastered sound suits the performances in offering clarity without ever becoming too analytical. Terrific!
