classicalmusic as simple as the music, with just enough that auspicious beginning with a virtuosic RAVEL Piano Concerto in G Major; space around the voices to frame the clarity execution of the aria itself as well as of her Concerto for the Left Hand and intensity of expression. E.S. other exacting aria,"Non mi dir,"unfazed FRANOAIX Concertino by its florid hurdles. In the Act 11 sextet HONEGGER Concertino MOZART ("So/a in buoio loco"),which Solti leads Jean -Yves Thibaudet, piano; Montreal Bryn Terfel (Don Giovanni), Renee Fleming with transparency and great dramatic force, Symphony, Charles Dutoit cond. (Donna Anna), Ann Murray (Donna Elvira), Fleming's singing of the top melodic line (London 452 448.6/ min) Michele Pertusi (Leporello), Herbert Lippert shines like a beacon. * * * (Don Ottavio), Monica Groop (Zerlina), Michele Pertusi's lively Leporello enter- Ican -Yves Thibaudet takes an urbane, others; ; London Philharmonic. tainingly captures the character's wide range Jgenteel approach to both of the Ravel cond. of emotional reactions. Herbert Lippert is a concertos, maintaining a smooth, unruffled (London 455 500, three CDs. 164 min) nonvirtuosic but altogether satisfying Don surface and resisting every hint of anything * * * Ottavio. Monica Groop also sings engag- more demonstrative or impassioned. It is all The valedictory recording by Georg ingly, though without revealing much of impeccable, well co-ordinated, but curious- Solti, who died last September, this Zerlina's personality, while Roberto Scal- ly unengaged, as if the usually more assert- Don Giovanniis enhanced by several valu- triti emerges as a solid, sympathetic Maset- ive Thibaudet were reluctant to call atten- able vocal contributions and reflects the late to. Mario Luperi's Commendatore is not tion to himself - he even seems to keep the maestro's characteristically energetic ap- particularly intimidating but smoothly and jazz element at arm's length in both concer- proach to Mozart. Bryn Terfel's Don Gio- impressively sung. tos, particularly surprising for a pianist who vanni is still in the process of evolution. He And that leaves the Donna Elvira of Ann has recorded a Bill Evans collection - and clearly relishes the dangerous aspects of Murray. Her performance is full of passion Charles Dutoit, always the sympathetic as- this multilayered character, but he tends to and good intentions, but she is somewhat sociate, can only respond in kind. overact (as in the Act II trio) and to lose overcautious in the aria"Mi tradi,"and she But don't write off this CD without con- tonal focus whenever he applies undue pres- is severely afflicted throughout with a wide sidering the filler pieces, which are imagi- sure. Although his vocal production ranges vibrato, which, alas, calls the wrong atten- natively chosen and downright enchanting- from a dulcetmezza voceto stentorian out- tion to her singing in the ensembles. ly performed. The tiny concertinos of Ar- bursts, he somehow misses the elegance Part of the Act I finale seems rushed, as thur Honegger and lean Francaix are in no that is essential to the Don's makeup. does the Don's aria,"Finch' han dal vino," danger of being overexposed, and they seem Renee Fleming brings the right mixture even though Terfel is able to cope with the to have inspired all the wholehearted in- of shock and fear to the recitative ("Don tempo. Nonetheless, the high drama Solti volvement on Thibaudet's part that is miss- Ottavio son morta")leading to her Revenge brings to the appropriate episodes of this ing in the Ravel concertos. The concertinos Aria("Or sai chi l'onore"),and she follows complex opera commands admiration. GJ. are, in fact, such utter delights (the Francaix

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