Recorded in 1952/53, these performances show Igor Markevitch at his incisive best, even if the somewhat grotty-sounding RIAS Symphony Orchestra isn’t really up to snuff in all departments. Curiously, this is most evident in the Schubert, technically the easiest work here, where the ensemble lacks the precision that Markevitch (and Schubert) require. Still, the performance is fresh and full of life, rhythmically acute but never stiff or mechanical. The Falla and Roussel pieces are ideal Markevitch territory. He revels in every hyper-detailed fleck of color in the Falla, and his expertise in the Roussel was legendary (witness his equally fine studio recording with the Lamoureux Orchestra for DG). The Mussorgsky songs feature somewhat wobbly Latvian soprano Mascia Predit, and can’t compare to Markevitch’s studio recording for Philips with Galina Vishnevskaya. Still, despite the redundancy, fans of the conductor will want to hear this. The sound is decent mono.
