PENTATONE'S remastering on SACD of quadraphonic recordings from the Philips catalogue in the 1970s have unearthed many wonderful performances that have been rejuvenated by the use of DSD technology and multi-channel SACD. In technical quality this latest release of four popular Bizet Suites does not disappoint in any way but unfortunately the performances do.

The two Suites from Bizet's opera 'Carmen' and the equally engaging pair taken from the incidental music he wrote for Alphonse Daudet's play 'L'Arlésienne' – heard here in the familiar arrangements made by Ernest Guiraud – are available in countless versions, including many on SACD. Any newcomer, therefore, needs to offer something special to tempt collectors.

For the record, Marriner changes the usual order of items in the first Carmen Suite and in the second omits the lovely 'Nocturne' movement altogether. Though it would be hard to level any criticism at the cultivated orchestral playing, Mariner's rather four-square conducting suggests that the orchestra was on auto-pilot for these sessions. This was the first recording that Mariner made as a conductor of the LSO, a body in which for many years he was a member, so it is perhaps surprising that he was unable to inspire his colleagues to deliver something more than efficient but routine performances of music requiring much greater interpretive style and élan.

On the plus side the sound is remarkable for both its vividness, clarity and warmth, a tribute to the efforts of the producer Vittorio Negri, the (unnamed) recording engineers and the fine acoustic of Walthamstow Town Hall where these recordings were taped in June 1978.

There are better alternative recordings of these pieces to be found in the catalogue including, in the case of the 'L'Arlésienne' Suites, the version by Kazuki Yamada also on the PENTATONE label Bizet: L'Arlésienne Suites - Yamada.

Copyright © 2016 Graham Williams and HRAudio.net

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