There is no complete recording available of Lalo's ballet, which dates from 1882, and which Debussy admired, but David Robertson has found more pieces to add to Lalo's two suites, which the composer selected himself. (Lalo extracted the delightful Valse de la Cigarette as a separate number, obviously thinking it would sometimes be played alone.) Robertson's performance has also re-established the music in ballet-order, whereas the suites do not follow the narrative line.There is much to charm the listener here, especially the Beechamesque lollipop, ''La Siesta''. Robertson secures graceful, polished yet vivid playing from his Monte-Carlo orchestra who give the impression of enjoying the music, and the recording—if not in the demonstration bracket—has plenty of colour and warmth.
Yondani Butt's performances of the suites plus the Valse de la Cigarette are also very enjoyable and the RPO play with much finesse. But they offer less music. However, in the ''Prelude'' which is remarkably like the Prelude to Wagner's Das Rheingold, the British players turn themselves into Wagnerians and they make the great climax quite spectacular (with the help of Brian Culverhouse's expansive recording), whereas the French orchestra try not to emphasize the Wagnerian crib. The ASV disc offers a religious lollipop by Gounod as an encore, but more of Namouna would have been a better choice.'