A great conductor can take a warhorse, or “light music”, and reinvigorate our sense of just how great it really is. Prior to his Berlin period, Claudio Abbado was one such conductor, and this disc proves it. The LSO plays magnificently, with an elegant solo flute in the third entr’acte from Carmen, lithe and amazingly precise strings, and plenty of heft from the brass where required. Abbado’s interpretations are perfect, whether in the whirlwind concluding Farandole of the First Suite from L’Arlésienne or in the dashing prelude to Carmen. There have been many excellent recordings of this music, from Markevitch to Beecham to Stokowski, but this one stands with the best, and the only drawback is the fact that you only get the first Carmen suite. Forty-six minutes hardly was generous playing time even for an LP. Still, at mid-price, and with very good sonics, this is worth having. [6/21/2007]
