Although the volume seems to fluctuate quite a bit. I keep having to adjust it.

the best terms to describe this performances are clean and spacious. Romeo and Juliet, recorded at Watford Town Hall, recieved 3 stars from penguin guide(3 being the highest score given by them). It is true that the The Tempest it is a little bit in the cool side, but still it's a good performance. It's kind of neat that these works were couple together as "Fantasias after Shakespeare" and for that price. I think it filled nicely that hole that I had in my collection.

I am rarely dissatisfied with Naxos recordings. Most of the Naxos CDs that I own are worthy performances that rank among the best of the represented pieces. Unfortunately, the three Tchaikovsky "Shakespeare" works here are mediocrely played and recorded. The interpretations are safe but commonplace; one does not marvel at the genious of the conductor when listening to these performances. Also, quite surprisingly, the sound quality here is only so-so; usually Naxos CDs offer clear digital sounds that rival or even surpass comparable CDs from big-name companies. Thus, I was befuddled when the strings here sound muddier than usual, and some of the details of the performance seem to be lost. Sound quality of this sort is excellent for historical recordings, but it is unexcusable in today's digital age.

An excellent performance can offset mediocre sound quality and vice versa, but this CD doesn't excel in either category. The resulting product is disappointing, especially when coming from an esteemed company like Naxos. The only saving grace for this CD is its super-budget price, thus the 3 stars.