“The recording captures the ravishing timbres of the instruments very well indeed; there’s real personality to the playing of both soloists…Always tasteful, Jan Kraybill certainly adds majesty to the mix as the finale hoves into view…while the bass drum and cymbals are superbly rendered…The closing pages are grand and glorious, the noble Casavant as secure and spacious as one could wish.” —Dan Morgan, MusicWeb International
“Stern’s account of the finale is exciting and enjoyable. Towards the end he and his musicians invest the music with a mixture of splendour and energy, and the final bars have genuine grandeur…I prefer Stern to Slatkin, both in musical and audio terms.” —John Quinn, MusicWeb International
Labels: Dan Morgan, John Quinn, Kansas City Symphony, KCSaintSaens, MusicWeb International