Baltimore SO/Marin AlsopNaxos 8.572486 ***

There are times when Marin Alsop and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra sound as though they are intent on presenting a kind of smooth classics version of Bartók. Their approach to the Concerto for Orchestra almost seems to go out of its way to be agreeable, to reinforce the point that the composer, who was terminally ill at the time of composition, was musically in mellower than usual mood when writing the piece. The loss of tension is rather more of an issue in the Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, especially in the contrapuntal web of the first movement. The piece's highly individual instrumental colourings are, however, always well conveyed, even if the expected sharpness of bite doesn't always materialise. An interesting alternative view of two landmark works. url.ie/af6o