Saint-Saens seldom fails to charm, with his ready melodic resource and craftsmanship, and the Morceau de concert, Op. 62, for violin and orchestra, if not of the calibre of the well-known Introduction and rondo capriccioso soon produces a winningly wistful lyrical idea. Similarly the Caprice andalou, if not matching the Havanaise, has a gentle degree of voluptuous languor, and the Romance reveals a very fetching middle section. The two works for horn and orchestra (a Romance and another Morceau) are both romantic and robust and, with the concertante works for violin alternating, make a most agreeable entertainment when both Olivier Charlier and Radovan Vlatkovic are such responsive soloists (neither overplays their part).
The other Morceau, Op. 154, for harp and orchestra, is more substantial; it opens enticingly and its delicate secondary tune is perhaps the most winning of all the melodies offered here. With its slow centrepiece (rather more conventional but still pleasing) and jaunty finale this is more like a fully fledged concerto, and the composer’s invention does not flag; moreover, he ensures that the harp’s decorative roulades are seldom buried (although on the record the excellent balance helps).
The Overture Spartacus, unsurprisingly, is not in the least like Khachaturian, more like Lalo (especially in its use of brass towards the end) though more lightly and felicitously scored than one would expect from that source. It is agreeable enough, with a distinct whiff of Verdi in its secondary string tune, but perhaps overlong, even though it is persuasively presented by Kantorow and his players. The recording, made in the sometimes intractable Salle Wagram in Paris, is very satisfactory.'