Instruct: Classify a review into positive or negative sentiment.
Query: Caricature conducting

I love these pieces, but was very disappointed by the performances on this CD. The conductor seems to have no conception of subtlety. He excels at grossly exaggerated gestures--transitions are ham-fisted, fast tempi are blasted through full bore, slow tempi are dragged out painfully. Orchestral textures that are finely balanced in other renditions are a muddled blur in this recording, even at ultra slow tempo. Listen on headphones and hear someone (the conductor, presumably) grunting along with the melody line (Lohengrin, Act III prelude, Meistersinger). I would recommend other versions of this great music (i.e., Solti).