Houston Symphony & Hans Graf - Stravinsky: Orchestral Works (2005)

A perfectly acceptable recording by a perfectly respectable conductor leading a perfectly reputable orchestra, this disc will give much pleasure to fans of Hans Graf and the Houston Symphony. Graf is a more than able German conductor who knows his way around an orchestra, knowing how to balance a sonority, how to shape a phrase, how to control a tempo, and how to manage an ensemble. Houston is a more than competent orchestra with a strong string section, a colorful wind section, a brilliant brass section, and a precise and powerful percussion section. Together, Graf and Houston turn in a character-laden version of Stravinsky's Divertimento from his ballet Le baiser de la fée with a fine sense of rhythm and an energetic version of Bartók's ballet The Wooden Prince with an outstanding sense of form. For listeners unfamiliar with the music, these performances will certainly satisfy. For listeners already familiar with the scores, these performances, although not effacing memories of Stravinsky's recording of the complete Le baiser de la fée with the Cleveland Symphony or Dorati's recording of The Wooden Prince with the London Symphony, will surely entertain. Koch's sound is a bit distant, a tad gray, and a little shallow.