Some will fear that ''Adagio'', as a collective title for a 70-minute record, has an ominous ring. Indeed I was afraid so myself; but in the event quite a few rebellious pieces do break the mould, to the record's great advantage. Respighi's Variations (on an adagio theme) do; they add up to a very enjoyable piece, with the orchestra allowed to make a major contribution. In fact the orchestra takes rewarding advantage of every opportunity offered; but not all the pieces concerned can in themselves really offer such opportunity. The Saint-Saens ''Swan'', for example, must test the patience of every accompanying orchestral player; but there is no audible evidence of that here, and the solo playing is of the very first order.
Indeed it is so everywhere: and many favourites as well as those already mentioned come up excellently with orchestral colouring of the accompaniment (the Faure Elegie, especially, does so). Some pieces, of course, were written with orchestral accompaniment (the Max Bruch Kol Nidrei for example), and these are given in splendid performances, with no quibble at all.
Should an occasional eyebrow be raised at the notion of a cello playing a violin concerto be assured it is beautifully done. Even so, perhaps the gentle movement concerned is not the best of all possible finales even to what many will find a rewardingly peaceful record! Would it be considered daft to suggest that a better finale, as such, might have been found somewhere among those designed for that precise purpose by Haydn. After all, Haydn did know his business pretty well, you might say!'