The orchestra waltzes seamlessly through, well, lots of waltzes: Chopin's Grand Valse Brilliante, from Les Sylphides; the Waltz from Act I of Coppelia and swirling favorites from Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake.

Kunzel sweeps elegantly through "Waltz of the Flowers" from The Nutcracker, where Gillian Benet-Sella's harp arpeggios are magical, and the trombones seem to float.

Though the disc becomes a bit tedious without the toe shoes and tutus, balletomanes will revel in the atmospheric Grand Pas de Deux from Giselle - considered the first romantic ballet - and the bold Russian Sailor's Dance by Gliere (just performed by the men of Cincinnati Ballet), which ends with a frenzied burst of virtuosity.

Manuel de Falla's exotic "Spanish Dance" from La Vida Breve is vivid and energized.

Some of the best moments are from the 20th century. The finale from Stravinsky's The Firebird is a shimmering canvas of color and warmth, and the orchestra plays spectacularly. (To hear the whole Firebird Suite, buy Paavo Jarvi's Telarc recording with the Cincinnati Symphony.)

And Shostakovich's staccato "Polka" from The Golden Age is quirky and witty.

For a bonus, there's Offenbach's "Galop" from La Parisienne and of course, the "Can-Can," both delivered with Kunzel's signature flamboyance.

In stores Tuesday.

E-mail jgelfand@enquirer .com