On the whole, Arte Nova turns out respectable budget CDs, and reissues of the label's releases from the 1990s are usually worth a second look. However, this presentation of Leos Janácek's Sinfonietta (1926); the single-movement Violin Concerto, "Pilgrimage of the Soul" (1926, reconstructed by Milos Stedron and Leos Faltus in 1988); and the suite from The Cunning Little Vixen (1924) is something of a disappointment, not merely for the age of the recordings, which date from 1990 and 1986, but also for the fairly uninspired performances.
Vaclav Neumann and the
SWR Symphony Orchestra try to bring off Sinfonietta with accuracy, but the brass are noticeably strained in their prominent parts, and the rest of the ensemble plays a little haltingly, perhaps as a result of unsteady direction. The Violin Concerto, featuring
Christiane Edinger as soloist, is a much smoother and coherent performance, since the violin's long lines give the other players something to relate to, even though the orchestral accompaniment seems loosely held together and quite changeable in texture and dynamics. The dance selections from The Cunning Little Vixen seem to have been less challenging to play thanks to their greater rhythmic regularity, and the performances are fairly enjoyable, if not especially brilliant or exciting. But when listeners approach Janácek, they should expect first-rate interpretations that really make the music work. Regrettably, the orchestra is not much better than average in its playing, and
Neumann's direction seems unfocused, so don't expect any revelations in this collection. Arte Nova's sound is clear and usually well-balanced, but shallow and cool in tone.