Balada: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 "New Orleans"; Concerto for Four Guitars and Orchestra; Celabraci? for Orchestra; Passacaglia for Orchestra.

Balada: Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 "New Orleans"; Concerto for Four Guitars and Orchestra; Celabraci? for Orchestra; Passacaglia for Orchestra Michael Sanderling, cello/Versailles Guitar Quartet/Barcelona Symphony & Catalonia National Orchestra/Colman Pearce (Naxos 8.557049)

Of the four compositions on this CD, I find one utterly fascinating, one pleasant to listen to, one bland but bearable, and one that I can't imagine anyone wanting to listen to more than once, assuming he or she has the patience to listen through the first time. That might not sound like much of a recommendation, but a couple of factors make this disc worth a purchase.

First, the utterly fascinating piece, Concerto for Cello and Orchestra No. 2 "New Orleans," is, in fact, utterly fascinating. It has a jazz feeling to it, and to hear the cello soloist, Micahel Sanderling, bend and slide the notes is a really enjoyable experience. This composition in itself is sufficient reason for jazz and clazssical fans to purchase this recording.

The second reason for purchase is that this is a Naxos release, meaning that it is dirt cheap. At this price, not only do you get the utterly fascinating "New Orleans" Concerto, but you also get the Celabraci? for Orchestra, which is en enjoyable piece in a kind of Gershwiny-sounding way. Unfortunately, the final piece on the CD, Passacaglia for Orchestra, is not particularly inspired, at least to these ears, but it is the second selection, Concerto for Four Guitars and Orchestra, that is really a disjointed-sounding, perhaps not quite hostile-sounding, but certainly not truly musical-sounding work that I cannot imagine would find much favor with more than a handful of listeners.

In light of how dreadfully unappealing the Concerto for Four Guitars and Orchestra is, I might want to add a third reason to purchase this CD anyway: the sound quality is excellent. And who knows, maybe you will be one of the handful of people who actually enjoy the Concerto for Four Guitars and Orchestra. Stranger things have happened.