A programme of transcriptions (Ravel's Fanfare is the odd man out) gathered together from Ulster Hall sessions from between 1989 and 1992. For those who like straight-through listening, the items are well contrasted, but matching of levels could be better: as often happens with the Ravel Pavane, the horns are above their pp markings at the start, but they needn't sound this loud. The hall's acoustic, as ever a high Chandos priority in the mix, certainly turns the Debussy saxophone Rapsodie into a more substantial piece than its usual diverting self, even if Gerard McChrystal's instrument can seem to acquire the proportions of an Alphorn (in the booklet photograph, the soloist is beaming behind something that looks poised to take out a tank or two). It is good to have another recording of Molinari's orchestration (made with Debussy's guidance) of L'isle joyeuse so soon after the first ever from Geoffrey Simon (Cala), and Tortelier manages a higher degree of precision than Simon in a score that requires comparable dexterity from the orchestra as the original does from the pianist, though the strings could have done with a little more body for the big tune.
Those strings are regrettably fallible in the Marche ecossaise: cellos feeble in their primary line (from 4A04B), and violins very approximate of pitch when the main theme becomes an Allegro vivo (from 4A53B), but this is a rare lapse in an appealing programme that is consistent with the standards already set by this series.'