This collection, enriched here by excellent recordings of La Mer and España taken from other releases, shows Ernest Ansermet at his best. The performances always have been highly recommended for the conductor’s typically crisp and stylish interpretations, as well as for playing that, while not quite as fine as possible, certainly is better than many other efforts by this characterful but inconsistent orchestra. Boléro moves at a good clip, but it also has the right steely brilliance at the climax thanks to some very uninhibited contributions from the high trumpets. In The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Ansermet finds both humor and plenty of menace; Pacific 231 remains one of the more cleanly articulated, finely judged performances of the work, while La Valse is aptly apocalyptic but also elegantly flowing where it needs to be. With sonics that have held up very well considering their early-’60s origins, this Arkivmusic.com “on demand” disc should find easy entry into most collections of French orchestral music. [1/4/2007]
