“INSTANT CLASSICS.” Richard Kapp conducts the Philharmonia...

“INSTANT CLASSICS.” Richard Kapp conducts the Philharmonia Virtuosi (Columbia 39510). While pops-oriented records such as this might pique the interest of the novice listener, the oppressively bland arrangements of famous piano works of Chopin, Debussy and Beethoven can only do a disservice to the vitality and variety of “classical” music. Even the Largo of Dvorak’s “New World” Symphony is rescored to fit the easy-listening mold. One might be accused as snobbish for denigrating this slick pastiche of mellow hits; so be it.