It is odd, or maybe perverse, that record companies with discs of mixed repertory like this so often present the different works in an order undermining success. It may have seemed logical here to have the Dvorak first, but sadly the magical opening of his string Serenade has rarely seemed so stodgy or sluggish, creating the most unpromising impression. The other four movements of that delightful work bring a gradual improvement, until the Allegro vivace finale, biting and delicate, at last finds these talented players back in form, but the initial impression remains.
How much better to have started with the Bartok Divertimento, its opening Allegro animated and well-pointed. The slow movement remains rather metronomic, lacking the hushed dedication it asks for, but the jollity and vigour of the finale are infectious. Most winning of all is Wolf’s Italian Serenade, here given in the composer’s own arrangement for string orchestra. It can be an elusive piece, but a light, delicate performance like this brings out its infectious wit, with lolloping dance rhythms given a delicious spring, making one wonder why it is not far more often performed either on disc or in the concert hall. Undistracting recorded sound, warm rather than brilliant