There’s no question that Adam Fischer and the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra know how this music should go and characterize it well. Háry János, in particular, has a number of expressive personal touches in such sections as the Song and Intermezzo that bespeak a long and affectionate acquaintance. The colorful Viennese Musical Clock and final procession also have plenty of spirit and energy. The Galánta Dance and Peacock Variations are very pretty too, but could do with a bit more impetus and sheer gusto. Part of this may be due to the extremely reverberant acoustic; Fischer, to his credit, may have been adapting his approach to the sound of the hall. This means that important detail still comes through (the cimbalom in Háry János is well caught, for example), but as the volume rises the orchestral image tends to blur and homogenize the music’s texture. In sum, this is an enjoyable disc, but certainly not better than any number of classic versions currently available.
