Poulenc, Prokofiev & Britten: Sinfoniettas

Dima Slobodeniouk’s absorbing program, recorded during his final season as chief conductor of the Lahti Symphony Orchestra, casts light on a strikingly rich orchestral genre. The sinfonietta is lighter than the symphony but certainly not lightweight, as Poulenc proved in the substantial piece he wrote in 1947 for the first anniversary of the BBC’s Third Programme (the precursor to BBC Radio 3). Its neoclassical mix of rhythmic élan and tender lyricism inspires an outstanding performance from the Lahti players. Likewise Britten’s *Sinfonietta* (1932)—its teenage composer’s edgy Op. 1 packs a powerful punch in the hands of Slobodeniouk and his Finnish musicians. Prokofiev, like Britten, wrote his *Sinfonietta* during his teens but revised it twice later, for the last time in 1929. It stands here as a genial companion to Poulenc and Britten’s emotionally more complex scores.