While Rimsky-Korsakov’s symphonies are admittedly not great works, they do exploit the composer’s gifts for melody and orchestration–qualities that Kees Bakels brings to the fore in these delightful performances with the Malaysian Philharmonic. Bakels effectively captures the exotic timbres of Rimsky-Korsakov’s instrumentation, giving particular attention to the brass and strings in Symphony No. 1, while in No. 3 he highlights the characterful woodwind writing. He also employs well-judged, energetic tempos–less driven than Järvi’s–that make the finales of both symphonies sound lively and robust.
Symphony No. 3’s slow movement, with its beautiful main theme, comes off best. Here Bakels’ sensitivity and ear for nuance creates a serene, magical atmosphere. The same goes for the brief but enchanting Fantasia on Serbian Themes. All this is made possible by excellent orchestral playing, with the Malaysian Philharmonic members fully immersed the composer’s unique sound world. BIS’s spacious, dynamically wide-ranging recording renders the performances with impressive fidelity and sonic impact. [8/29/2005]
