Audiophile enhancements notwithstanding, the chief reason to acquire this disc always has been Paul Paray’s vibrant and exciting renditions of these delightful works, performed with power, precision, and panache by the Detroit Symphony. Of the Chabrier works, only España and Joyeuse Marche will be recognizable by most listeners, and Paray offers compelling renditions of both. However, the remaining Chabrier items are just as enjoyable, especially the colorful Fête Polonaise and the dramatic Gwendoline Overture. Mercury’s famed minimal-miking technique vividly captures the lively acoustic of Detroit’s Ford Auditorium, which the DSD remastering relates with striking immediacy–especially considering that these recordings are more than 45 years old! This fact becomes even more impressive when you hear the Roussel Suite in F, which is hampered by persistent harmonic distortion and foreshortened dynamics. Nevertheless, Paray’s stirring performance transcends these sonic limitaitons, making this collection a certified must-have, no matter what the format. [1/6/2005]
