Recording Review
Jean Françaix
Symphony in G major; Sérénade; Ouverture anacréontique; Pavane pour un Génie vivant; Scuola di ballo
Ulster Orchestra
Thierry Fischer conductor
Hyperion CDA 67323
The Times,16 April 2002
by Geoff Brown
After the gargantuan Gurrelieder I was in need of something small and fluffy. So into the player went Hyperion CDA 67323, devoted to the prancing delights of Jean Françaix, performed by the Ulster Orchestra and their new chief conductor, Thierry Fischer. Even when he writes a symphony Françaix keeps the tone witty and the proportions dainty, and this collection serves to remind us what 20th-century joys can be found away from the fashionable modernists The Ulster players may not actually be French, but they fooled me. An utter delight.
The Observer, 7 April 2002
by EB
With winning performances of novel repertoire, this disc augurs well for Thierry Fischer's new partnership with the Ulster Orchestra. Jean Françaix (1912-97) may have stood firm against the juggernaut of twentieth century musical change, but he infused his neoclassical style with unmistakeable Gallic wit. It shines through here - with the exception of the Pavane pour un génie vivant (1987), a touching tribute for the fiftieth anniversary of Ravel's death.
Fischer extracts fine ensemble playing and delivers panache while avoiding any temptation to 'help' the music through overcharacterisation.