| Review by Daland February 25, 2007 (1 of 1 found this review helpful)
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This is one of the best-sounding SACDs in the Membran series. The engineers have been content to use the rear channels for ambience only, eschewing any artificial effects. As usual, the recording level is quite high, but I did not notice any shrillness in the upper strings or trumpets (the piccolos are an exception, but here the shrillness is intended). The horns, which are very prominent in the excerpts from "Sylvia" (especially "Les Chasseresses"), but also in "Coppélia", are warm and mellow, and the strings are, if not silky, at least pleasant in tone. In the two vocal numbers from "Lakmé" the balance between singers and orchestra is well-judged.
The performance can hardly be faulted. This is a spirited reading, full-blooded and brassy when required, but also rich in detail. The Royal Philharmonic is in splendid form and plays this music to the manner born. The music for "Le roi s'amuse" is quite intriguing. Written in a mock pre-classical style, it reminds me of Vaughan Williams's Tallis fantasia, especially in the Pavane.
It would be good to have the full scores on SACD, but unfortunately Delibes' ballet masterpieces (so admired by Tchaikovsky) are sorely neglected today.
I listened only to the multi-channel version (the stereo channels are likely to be reversed, anyway).
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