Like its predecessor, Vol. 2 of Naxos' Famous Symphonic Poems includes a variety of works whose level of "fame" is vastly different. The opening poem of
Saint-Saëns, Le Rouet d'Omphale, is by far the most obscure work on the program and for good reason. It is a rather banal, trite composition that pales in comparison to the more dense, heavy-hitting pieces that follow.
Rachmaninov's Isle of the Dead is far from trite, although even it is infrequently programmed. The
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra under
Enrique Bátiz gives this dark, contemplative work a strong, impassioned performance with sweeping string playing and some especially nice contributions by the underappreciated contrabassoon. Moving up the popularity ladder is Janácek's three-movement Taras Bulba, based on the death of Cossack leader by the same name and his two sons. Another well-executed though otherwise unremarkable performance is given by the
Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra. By far the most well-known composition on the program is Respighi's Pines of Rome. Regrettably, this popular work is given the weakest performance on the disc.
Bátiz and the
RPO return for what turns out to be a surprisingly sloppy, lazy read-through. Rhythm and articulation are messy and careless, string solos are out of tune, and overall balance is less than stellar.