Zoltán Kodály: Háry János Suite / Dances of Galánta & Marosszék / Children's Choruses

Kodály's music can be a lot of fun, and this disc is programmed for maximum entertainment value. The two sets of dances, which should be 20th-century Top 100 classical favorites, are about as entertaining as music is permitted to be, are the excerpts from the singspiel H&@225;ry János (which is Top 100, deservedly), the better- with the lesser-known music interspersed to excellent effect. Fischer adds to the mix three brief choral arrangements of Hungarian folk songs. The two children's choruses sing like angels, and the orchestra plays throughout with a tasty idiomatic quality, snapping the rhythms and emphasizing the imaginative color of the orchestration. If your collection isn't already overloaded with Kodály, this disc will be an excellent addition. --Leslie Gerber