These are well played, well recorded performances of Rossini’s most popular overtures. Charles Dutoit conducts with an obvious if somewhat restrained sense of the theater. You won’t find Reiner’s thrilling intensity or Bernstein’s dramatic flair. Rather, like Yoel Levi’s Atlanta Symphony collection, the emphasis here is on vibrant colors and bright, sunny energy. The opening Silken Ladder makes the best impression, responding as it does to Dutoit’s light touch. La gazza ladra and Barber of Seville could do with a bit more ferocity in the dramatic passages, and the “Lone Ranger” close of William Tell stops just short of the frenzy generated by Reiner and Bernstein (but those trombones in the storm section are wonderful). Il Signor Bruschino and La Cenerentola are done with a generalized boisterousness, while Semiramide comes closest to evoking genuine excitement. Fine solo oboe and horn playing grace L’italiana in Algeri–in fact, the entire program showcases the Montreal Symphony’s excellent soloists. All in all, a pretty good collection, especially for the first-timer wanting these pieces in great sound at an affordable price–something at which Eloquence particularly excels.
