Erich Kunzel’s Cincinnati Pops programs have been some of Telarc’s best selling discs. This Symphonic Spectacular from 1988 makes it easy to see why: it’s a collection of choice items from the symphonic repertoire in generally excellent performances, recorded in Telarc’s spectacular house sound that even 14 years later has lost none of its clarity, dynamism, and impact. Certainly a lot of thought went into the ordering of the tracks to ensure musical continuity as well as variety. It’s really interesting how Shostakovich’s Festive Overture dovetails so well into Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries (a stirring performance here), or how Tchaikovsky’s Marche Slav makes such a fine foil for Chabrier’s España, or how Bizet’s Farandole (from L’Arlesienne) seems such a natural pairing for Falla’s Ritual Fire Dance.
There’s also Enescu’s Roumanian Rhapsody No. 1 (not the most virtuosic reading ever), Khachaturian’s Sabre Dance (excellently done), and relative rarities such as Jarnefelt’s Praeludium and Halvorsen’s Entry March of the Boyars. So, maybe it’s a little outside the bounds of your basic “pops” concert–but hey, what’s not to like, especially now that this “classic” is available at mid-price.