Tchaikovsky is a natural choice for the debut recording of the Russian Virtuosi of Europe, an impressive collection of soloists, chamber musicians, conservatoire teachers and orchestral principals – all ambassadors for the great Russian string tradition. Their richly confident playing is startlingly good: taut, precise and immaculately phrased. Yuri Zhislin coaxes tangible excitement in the exhilarating finale of the Serenade for Strings and couples tremendous colour and vitality with meticulous attention to detail in the sextet Souvenir de Florence, heard here in an attractive arrangement for string orchestra. Recommended.
