Search - Sergey Prokofiev, Neeme Järvi, Scottish National Orchestra :: Prokofiev: Symphony No. 5; 3 Waltzes

Wow! This is one intense performance of Prokofiev's second most popular symphony (the most popular one is the "Classical" Symphony). The climaxes of the first and third movements ring out with earsplitting violence, which is exactly what the composer intended. Neeme Järvi also adopts rather more urgent tempos than usual in those same movements, which is very welcome--the heaviness is built into the music and doesn't need to be exaggerated. The coupling comprises three of the six delicious waltzes that the composer assembled into an attractive dance suite from various sources. Staggeringly good sound, too. --David Hurwitz