This is as fine a Leroy Anderson collection as any available, and the presence of only the second recording of the charming Piano Concerto gives it unusual interest. In fact, this is a better performance than the competition on Telarc (with the Cincinnati Pops under Kunzel). I’m not sure if this is because conductor Paul Mann and pianist Simon Tedeschi take the music more seriously or less, but they play with greater verve and inflect the music with snappier rhythms, which is all to the good, particularly in the infectiously catchy finale. If you haven’t heard this first-rate “pops” piece, by all means don’t hesitate to purchase this disc for that alone.
Happily, the remaining items are just as fine. All of your favorites are here: The Syncopated Clock, The Waltzing Cat, The Typewriter, Belle of the Ball, Sleigh Ride, Bugler’s Holiday, Fiddle-Faddle, and quite a few more. Mann and his Melbourne forces play them all with panache and toe-tapping fun. Superb sonics round out this surprising tribute to Anderson from Down Under, another testament to Australia’s high level of musicianship and surprisingly open mind when it comes to repertoire. Along with the recent superb Mahler Fifth praised in these pages, it looks like ABC Classics really has its act together too. [6/21/2004]
