Conductor Vakhtang Jordania knows this symphony well, and he encourages the Royal Philharmonic to do much better than its ordinarily tepid best in conveying the music's power and urgency. He takes the famous "ambush" episode in the finale at a furious pace, and it's a matter of taste whether listeners will prefer this to a more crushing, juggernaut-like approach. The symphony's opening pages and the elegiac third movement convey the right sense of anticipation, but it's the finale that comes off best. Jordania understands that subtlety is about the last thing on Shostakovich's mind here, and he generates a fine head of steam while giving the brass and percussion the chance to strut their stuff. Angelok1's recording lacks a bit of body in the quieter pages but accommodates the big climaxes nicely. Definitely worth a listen, then, and fans of this sprawling but strangely compelling work will find more than enough personal touches to justify purchasing yet another version.

--David Hurwitz