We’re still waiting for a truly great recording of this powerful symphony, but this one is quite good. Rumon Gamba characterizes the music well, choosing generally lively tempos that generate exciting climaxes. The clever third movement, a series of accelerating variations, is particularly effective, and the long finale never hangs fire. My only reservation is that the Iceland Symphony sounds a bit undernourished in the string department for such a heavy-duty romantic work, but on the plus side this gives the textures a welcome transparency.
The two shorter works are less interesting. Tableaux de voyage, orchestrations drawn from a larger piano suite, sounds thoroughly idiomatic as scored, but these predominantly gentle pieces just aren’t terribly compelling and don’t linger long in the memory. This is even more true of Karadec, a brief suite of incidental music. Still, the performances are accomplished and the sonics very pleasing. I can only applaud Chandos for devoting a series to this important late-romantic composer. If you’re a collector, then start collecting.
