EMI could never find a reasonable coupling for this 1966 Carmina Burana, and over the years it's been paired with Ravel and Stravinsky. This is the original 1987 CD release; better to have no coupling than an absurd one at budget price. Whichever of the various issues of this program you choose, know that this is a fine performance. There are a few oddities – two baritones among them – but nothing to deter a purchase.
The soloists are quite fine, with Lucia Popp in typically good voice. The two baritone issue turns out not to be one, as they share duties well. The New Philharmonia Chorus provides its usual excellence. Frühbeck conducts commandingly, and everything goes according to plan. That's the biggest issue here, as there's little in this performance that gets you too excited. God knows there's worse (even in the EMI/Warner stable), and hearing the New Philharmonia in such prime form can't be discounted. But the dead spots in this work stay that way, and the orchestral interludes aren't particularly special.
Still, this middle-of-the-road Carmina does make one appreciate the score, as the conductor does uncover some nice detail, and balances his large forces well. Even if there's nothing massively revealing, the choral and solo contributions make this version a contender. The big moments come off "big", and the sound is surprisingly fine given that this performance is nearly 50 years old. It's not a reference recording, perhaps, but has qualities that distinguish it in a crowded field.
Copyright © 2015, Brian Wigman