Razumovsky Symphony Orchestra, Andrew Mogrelia - Delibes: Sylvia / Saint-Saëns: Henry VIII (1996)

Of Delibes's two full-length ballets, Coppélia is the more obviously popular, the one with the bigger tunes and the greater number of recordings.
However, Sylvia is also a superbly crafted score, full of haunting melodies. Andrew Mogrelia's Naxos series is one to be collected and treasured: there's loving care applied to selection of tempos, shaping of phrases, orchestral balance and refinement of instrumental detail. Here you thrill to Sylvia's Act 1 Fanfare, marvel at the control of tempo and refinement of instrumental detail in the 'Valse lente' and 'Entrée du sorcier', and revel in the sheer ebullience of Sylvia's return in Act 2. The inclusion of the ballet music from Saint-Saëns's Henry VIII was an admirably enterprising move, even though it doesn't amount to anything major apart from the 'Danse de la gitane', being essentially a collection of mock 'Olde Britishe' dances. All the same, a quite remarkable bargain.