CD REVIEW -
FRENCH
ORCHESTRAL FAVOURITES
SINFONIA OF LONDON JOHN WILSON
CHANDOS CHSA 5379
[TT 68:35]
It is not
hyperbole for the record company
to write that "Sinfonia of
London's twenty-sixth album is a
sonic spectacular, showcasing the
orchestra’s dazzling
technique and ensemble playing
with this selection of French
favourites." Your reviewer
could not have put it better. And
the man with the baton is, of
course, John Wilson, who has
received the prestigious 2026
Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS)
Conductor Award.
The opening work
is by the Paris-born composer,
Paul Dukas (1865-1935), whose
fame rests on this single
orchestral work, the stunning
ingenious Sorcerer's
Apprentice. The story is of
an apprentice who uses magic to
avoid his chores, only to lose
control of his creation. Some
will be reminded of its use in
Walt Disney's film classic,
'Fantasia', featuring Mickey
Mouse as the apprentice. (Along
with many others, I suspect, I
cannot listen to this work
without thinking of Mickey Mouse
! Ed.)
Other tasty tracts
follow: Debussy's Clair de
Lune, Chabrier's Joyeuse
Marche, Ravel's Une
Barque sur l'océan and
Saint-Saën's Danse macabre.
Then the final 35'39" is
devoted to what for many will
likely be the highlight of the
disc: Bizet's Suites from
'Carmen', presented complete
in an order chosen by Wilson.
Leading the
orchestra are either Charlie
Lovell-Jones or John Mills. While
being in constant admiration of
the gold standard playing by the
musicians under maestro Wilson, I
am probably not alone in thinking
that some of the composers he has
chosen to record over the years
would not have been mine. But
this album is spot-on and brings
to mind the renowned recordings
of French "lollipops"
made by the great Sir Thomas
Beecham with his Royal
Philharmonic Orchestra in the
1950s.
The icing on the
cake comes with the booklet
including nine pages and six
lines of notes written by French
music historian Richard Langham
Smith.
Enjoy!
©
Peter Burt, April 2026
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