These rich performances hold the naivety and youthful charm of Rossini's music in good balance. Riccardo Chailly's approach to three of the lively 12-year-old's string sonatas is laid back and unhurried and even in this version for string orchestra one is aware of their odd middleless scoring for violins, cellos and double-basses, the latter instruments getting a fair share of elephantine fun. For a sample of this entertaining music, try the finale of Sonata No. 6 on track 11. This disc is hardly recommended listening for the ascetic, but it gives much innocent pleasure, and although the 12 violins of this Bolognese orchestra may not sound like the corresponding section of the Berlin Philharmonic, they bring some finesse and delicacy to their music as well as gusto and an innate understanding of the style.
The two sets of variations are also boyhood works but were composed five years later in 1809. Though they're more inventive, these performances still rightly bring out their essential humour, for example in the solos of the instrumenti obbligati set, allotted to two violins, viola, cello and clarinet. The latter instrument features more prominently in the C major Variations which are performed with sensitivity and panache by Dmitri Ashkenazy to end the disc. Prior to that, on track 8, the Serenata of 1823 offers the chance to shine to a handful of wind and string soloists including a lachrymose English horn. I particularly like the flute solo beginning at 3'33'', in which the big breath the flautist has to take at one point (completely holding up the proceedings) is a witty revenge on a composer whose music, if played as written, mischievously denies him the right to breathe at all. The recording made in Bologna has a delightfully warm yet fresh sound. This is a disc to make you smile.'