Volume 3 is here. And it's the one that we didn't need

I have enjoyed Volumes 1 and 2 in this series from Chandos, with some notable exceptions. But Volume 3 will be my last. (Please see my reviews for the earlier volumes below.)
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So here's how it's going:
Volume 1 - thoroughly enjoyable from beginning to end (well, with the exception of the Marimba Concerto). Beautifully played and recorded.
Volume 2 - a mixed bag. Some more of the richly atmospheric, lyrical expression heard in Volume 1, plus some atonal nonsense in the form of his Symphony #2. And there's a truly disappointing performance of the saxophone concerto, played with unpleasant tone by a poorly chosen soloist. Recording quality becomes questionable and variable.
Now comes Volume 3, which is more of RRB's atonal serialism we heard in the symphony on Vol 2. Ugh.

His Symphony #1 begins with an unpleasant, unmusical, uninteresting motif and it continues similarly for 22 long minutes. I'm certainly glad RRB eventually outgrew this phase. But I'm not glad Chandos has decided to subject us to it.

Zodiak (symphonic poem) is more of the same - atonal, but not quite so "serial-ist"; not quite the obvious "paint-by-numbers" formula heard in the first two symphonies. More tolerable, and rather more pleasant, is Reflections for String Orchestra, which was written for our conductor here, John Wilson. But surprisingly, I found this reading of it to be rather reserved and uninvolving. One would have thought Mr. Wilson would have poured his heart and soul into this one, being its dedicatee and all. But nope. I found it curiously unmoving. I didn't listen to the vocal selection, as that is simply not my thing, even under the best of circumstances.

The sound is good in the traditional Chandos manner, especially in SACD. But I'm over Richard Rodney Bennett now. Mr. Wilson (and Chandos), please move on to something else.