The Bergen Philharmonic proves an ideal instrument for one of Tchaikovsky's most magical scores. Neeme Jarvi's every demand is met with immaculate playing, recorded in a warm but not too resonant acoustic...That said, Jarvi chooses some quirky tempos...there is plenty here to delight lovers of this ballet.

[Järvi] turns a second-tier orchestra into a world beater, holding the Bergen Philharmonic in the palm of his hand. Despite speeds that are noticeably faster than you would expect in the theatre, Järvi makes every phrase dance and smile.

This is a good, practical interpretation of The Sleeping Beauty. The playing by the Bergen Philharmonic is strong and spirited: Jarvi's conducting is rational, adopting as it does the natural pacings and colouristic inflections from which it is possible to appreciate the character of the dances in one's mind's eye...in general Järvi does a sound job in sustaining the dramatic flow.

Järvi seems never to put a foot wrong and the Bergen orchestra impresses as much, conducted by him, as it does under its principal conductor Andrew Litton... the producers have pulled out all the stops and engaged no less a violinist than James Ehnes to play the important violin solos, a strikingly indulgent decision which pays dividends because Ehnes' outstanding technique makes these sections truly memorable.

Järvi's tempos generally verge on the fast side...and while I’m not convinced that every bar could be danced to at these speeds, this is after all a recording rather than a backing track for a ballet performance, and it unquestionably works in delivering thrilling climaxes and genuine excitement. The orchestral playing is ravishing, and the sound – ranging from shimmering cymbals to rasping brass – is superbly captured by Ralph Couzens and his team.

From the outset...it is clear that Jarvi has no intention of lingering. His brisk allegros would probably rush the most virtuosic ballerinas off their feet in the theatre. On record, without the distraction of spectacle and dancing, the dramatic momentum hardly lets up, although he and the excellent Bergen players luxuriate in the rapt steps of Aurora’s famous Rose Adagio.

You might find yourselves in two minds about it. Järvi's extreme speeds result in a performance to which you can't imagine anyone dancing...The playing is ravishing, though, and a couple of glamorous guest instrumentalists, James Ehnes and Robert deMaine, add real lustre to the concertante violin and cello solos respectively.