Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz. Oh, sorry! I must have fallen asleep. Then again, so will you if you invite this lackluster disc into your home. OK, I suppose it’s kind of nice to have another version available of the rarely heard De profundis, at least in theory. But it’s not exactly the most thrilling of pieces to begin with, and Lortie’s playing so lacks panache–check out the stormy passage about thirteen minutes from the start–while Pehlivanian’s conducting practically defines the word “flat,” here and everywhere else. Where are those fortissimo timpani at the opening of Totentanz, or the braying horns in the “hunt” variation? And what interpretive concept justifies the little hesitations that Lortie inserts into the brilliant runs decorating the opening and closing cadenzas, or the hideous rhythmic distortions he inflicts on the Dies Irae theme just before the coda, or those limp-wristed glissandos that follow? Comparing this version of the Hungarian Fantasy to Cziffra’s, recently reissued by EMI at budget price, is just plain embarrassing. If you want to hear a bunch of dead gypsies, now’s your chance. Boring playing, boring conducting, less than brilliant recording: enough said. P.S. This is volume two. Volume one was no better.
