Overtures

"There is a lot of fun to be had on this disc and often more than that ... Under Pappano, the Santa Cecilians have already shown how well they can play Rossini's music and they repeatedly show that again on this disc. There is a beautiful lightness to the strings in La Scala di Seta, as they scamper all over both the introduction and the main theme".

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"Vurdering: Ugens cd" - "Rossini var en af 1800-tallets største operakomponister. Ouverturerne til hans operaer er lige så berømte. De bobler og griner, energien er høj og festen straks i gang ... På Ugens Cd er det München Kammerorkester, der spiller. Det er et af de bedste og mest alsidige kammerorkestre i verden. Deres Rossini lyder som en leg i solen - præcis som det skal være".

"Turn to the Santa Cecilia woodwinds and there is enough sparkle and fizz for a whole magnum of Prosecco ... This disc is a fine showcase for conductor and orchestra - woodwinds especially - and a fine reminder of Rossini's genial wit".

"This is a curious anthology. The performances of the two early overtures ... are a delight ... And the overture to La Cenerentola is similarly blessed. The overture to Il barbiere di Siviglia is more conventially done ... Pappano's performance is vivid but a good deal more humane [than Toscanini's]".

"The performances are sympathetic and nimble, if not quite in the highest league. Even if one has the odd reservation about the sound and post-production, a recommendation partly because this release is part of an integral series ... cannot be denied".

"Volume 2 of Naxos's four-disc survey of all of Rossini's overtures brings eight in total ... That to William Tell is probably the best known of all ... opens here with some silkily expressive solo-cello playing ... Following the delightfully executed pastoral ... at a good (moderate) tempo and wellsprung rhythms ... In general, these are excellent performances that have been well recorded".

"For exactly one hour, this opening Naxos volume offers high-class entertainment ... Christian Benda and the Prague Sinfonia delight in the music, giving it a vivid performance".