Scottish Ensemble - Tchaikovsky & Shostakovich - Hi-Fi News

This is a fresher, more imaginative Tchaikovsky Serenade than the recent LSO Live, and although the upper strings can sound a little steely at high levels, the acoustic is cleaner, the Barbican one rather muddying tone in places. The playing is especially lovely in the slow movement and the linking section into the finale. The coupling is leader Jonathan Morton's persuasive transcription of the 1944 string quartet, rather like those by Barshai of other chamber works. It certainly brings out the tics and themes heard in the wartime symphonies, Nos 7 and 8, and the solo recitative in (ii) and (iv) are retained to telling effect. The finale has some quite thrilling string ensemble playing.

Sound Quality: 95%