This disc duplicates exactly the contents of an RCA CD by the late Antonio de Almeida and the Bamberg Symphony containing performances rather more strongly profiled than these. Still, there’s little to complain about in highly polished, appealing music that more or less “plays itself”. Sinfonía sevillana, La processión del Rocio, and the rarely heard Ritmos all receive fine readings, colorful and confidently played, even if the orchestra’s brass lack the last ounce of panache. Danzas fantásticas, however, does not rank with the better versions largely on account of a very slow final Orgía.
Now here I have to confess: There are two traditions of performance in this piece, quicker and slower, and while I vastly prefer quicker, the composer himself liked the piece played comparatively slowly. That said, I suspect that both he and I would find ourselves in agreement in disapproving of conductor Max Bragado Darman’s fussy transitions between slow and slower tempos. Still, this is the only drawback in an otherwise fine collection, and the recorded sound, although a touch tubby in the bass, provides a well balanced and warm ambience in which to enjoy the show.
