André Previn made some very fine recordings in Pittsburgh, including an excellent Mahler Fourth for EMI. This was another. The outstanding item here is The Carnival of the Animals, played straight, with no gimmickry or foolishness (the scales in “Pianists” speak for themselves), but with all of the lightness, elegance, and wit that the music requires. It’s a performance to live with, and Anne Martindale Williams’ version of the “The Swan” is about as gorgeous as it gets. The Ravel isn’t quite as remarkable. There are still more magical renditions from Martinon, Abbado, Boulez, and Ozawa, but once again the playing is exceptionally lovely, and the two works, both inspired by and evocative of the world of children, certainly belong together. One minor snag is the early digital recording, a bit pale by today’s best standards (Philips was very late in figuring out the new technology); but on musical values alone this “on demand” production from Arkivmusic.com is undoubtedly a winner.
