| Review by Jon Benger April 28, 2014 (7 of 7 found this review helpful)
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For a mere £10 (or your local equivalent) you get two hours of Schubert in hi-res stereo and surround. At that price it was worth a gamble, and for me, it's mostly paid off. The overtures are in chronological order, starting with some early theatrical and concert overtures written during the composer's teenage years, and proceeding through the better known Magic Harp overture (Rosamunde) through to the mature Fierabras which is consistent in orchestration with the later symphonic works. There is inevitably some variability in the musical merit of such an extensive collection, but it's worth going through for the gems which punctuate the recital, such as the tuneful overture to the Devil's Pleasure Castle. The Prague Sinfonia present the music efficiently and in the right spirit, with forward pace and good articulation. There are a couple of moments of dodgy intonation, and some of the vibrato in the brass may be an acquired taste, but these are not major detractors, and overall the performances are satisfying.
The recorded sound is largely well-defined with plenty of detail, and the surround mix conveys a realistic and natural impression of being sat well back in a medium sized venue without excessive resonance.
There may be a few tracks that one could "take or leave", which is inevitable in the case of a full survey like this, but there are enough familiar favourites and pleasant new discoveries to make this disc worth spending some time with.
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