Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Sir Charles Mackerras - Kodály: Dances of Galanta / Bartok: Music for Strings, Percussion & Celeste, Divertimento (2004)

Charles Mackerras and the orchestra manage to be both expansive and rhythmically acute in the early pages of the Dances. The particular interest of this performance of Bartók's Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta is that the body of strings, smaller than the normal symphony orchestra, is close to that of Paul Sacher's Basel Chamber Orchestra at the premiere. The playing in this and the Divertimento is alert and full of enthusiasm...