Winter Daydreams...an apt subtitle!
03/24/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Recorded in April 1985, this is one of the best performances of the symphony on record. One of Mariss Jansons's strengths as a conductor is to create a sense of atmosphere, and he comes up trumps in every movement. There is excitement and a sense of motion here, but also a sense of dreaminess, particularly in the second movement. The recording, while reverberant, nonetheless assists Jansons and the OPO in giving the second movement an almost wistful atmosphere! The scherzo is perfectly paced, and the finale has just the right amount of excitement without sounding like a football band! Highly recommended, this recording still rates highly despite the passage of 15 years!"