RODRIGO: “CONCIERTO-SERENATA,” “CONCIERTO PASTORAL.” Nancy Allen, harp;...

RODRIGO: “CONCIERTO-SERENATA,” “CONCIERTO PASTORAL.” Nancy Allen, harp; Lisa Hansen, flute; Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Enrique Batiz. Angel DS-38278 (digital). Taste and quiet virtuosity suffuse this most agreeable tour around Rodrigo’s less familiar concerted works. The harp pyrotechnics in the “Concierto-Serenata” (1956) cannot avoid the inescapable resemblance to the guitar compositions which established Rodrigo’s reputation outside Spain. Allen lends nimble fingers and a shade too much reticence to this determinedly colorful music. The 1968 “Concierto-Pastoral” relies less on Iberian atmosphere and more on offering challenges to the breath of its foolhardy soloist. Hansen makes a fit successor to dedicatee James Galway, and Batiz’s conducting and Angel’s sonics offer no disappointments.