New recordings of Tchaikovsky’s carefree and endearingly garrulous Souvenir de Florence – whether in its original guise as a string sextet or transcribed for string orchestra – are always welcome and this athletic offering from the richly experienced Pierre Amoyal and his 13-strong Camerata de Lausanne certainly hits the spot. Sharing the first violin part with the young Russian Andrey Baranov (winner of the 2012 Queen Elisabeth Competition), Amoyal masterminds a dashingly eloquent, uncommonly articulate rendering, with textures that are bracingly transparent and phrasing as shapely as it is affectionate (the first movement’s magical second subject and slow movement’s long-breathed cantilena are moulded with flexibility and imagination). By its side, the version by Sarah Nemtanu and five principals drawn from the Orchestre National de France and Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France sounds altogether more conventional; ensemble is impressively tight but tension levels are a few notches lower than one might have expected from a live event. High-class alternatives from an augmented Borodin Quartet (Teldec, 1/94) and Sarah Chang and colleagues (EMI, 10/02) remain preferable.

Nemtanu makes amends with her coupling, mind you, a refreshingly discerning concert performance of the Tchaikovsky Concerto with her mentor Kurt Masur a warmly understanding partner on the rostrum. It was Masur who appointed her leader of the Orchestre National de France when she was just 21, and if the bomb-proof technique, abundant temperament and innate good taste she displays here are anything to go by, she’s undoubtedly a talent to monitor. A pity the close-set sound is not terribly alluring. Amoyal’s splendidly clean-limbed Souvenir de Florence is preceded by a no less sparky account of the masterly Serenade, with playing that is once again feisty and virtuoso. I love the snap, sinew and sweep that these intelligent artists bring to the outer movements, although some listeners may crave rather more in the way of opulence and glow (especially in the heart-tugging slow movement). We could do with a reissue of David Zinman’s classic Philips recording of Souvenir with the Netherlands CO (6/77 – nla) but in the meantime this admirably engineered Warner Classics release will serve very nicely indeed. I should also add that from each sale of Nemtanu’s Naïve CD, one euro will be donated to Amnesty International.