Here choice might be dictated partly by one's individual priorities. If they are with full modern digital sound, then the Rotterdam orchestra on Philips is afforded a richness and sonority, plus an overall bloom on strings, wind and brass alike, which is most appealing. If only Philips had decided to include the Third Symphony, this CD would have been quite competitive, even if the performances have not the sparkle of those under Andrew Davis in Toronto. If you are looking for a bargain above all else, then the Naxos disc is certainly that. The Slovak performances are alive and vigorous, and Stephen Gunzenhauser's approach to the bold theme of the first movement of the Second Symphony is more sharply rhythmic than Gergiev's, while the scherzos of both symphonies are nimble, yet given plenty of colour and resonance by the acoustics of the Bratislava Concert Hall of Slovak Radio. The horn solo in the slow movement of No. 2 is not memorable, but dtherwise the orchestral playing is very good, and the Third Symphony is a distinct asset to the disc. The one snag is that while the recording is quite expansive in acoustic the (obviously truthful) impression here is only of a modest-size orchestra.
Alas, the Toronto Symphony Orchestra are not given the top-drawer recorded sound they deserve. The recording is artificially balanced and relatively shallow, but it is fully acceptable, and all my I comparisons reveal that the performances of all I three symphonies under Andrew Davis are the I finest of any offered here, and better than anyl thing else in the current CD catalogue. Indeed in Davis's reading the First Symphony, which so often seems a kind of initial draft for the Second, makes a very strong impression in its own right. The very Russian opening is most subtly and winningly handled by Davis, whereas with Gergiev the effect is more robustly direct, partly of course because the Rotterdam double-basses are made amply resonant by their acoustic ambience and the timpani are more boldly caught. The first movement allegro develops splendid impetus in Toronto, while the lyrical music is, like the opening, strikingly Russian in its colouring. The scherzo goes splendidly in both performances, and here again the Rotterdam acoustic brings a most attractive bloom to the lightheartedly fleet orchestral playing. But in the Andante, with its wistful, nostalgic atmosphere, the extra character of the Toronto performance tells: there is some lovely, veiled string playing at 3'30'', and at 4'44'' the burst of energy from the strings riding over the rocking horn figure is very compelling. (The playing in Rotterdam is beautiful here, with an attractive feeling of reverie, but the effect is more static.) The finale brings an exhilaratingly crisp opening from Davis (Gergiev is mellower, but not dull).
In No. 2 Davis scores on all points (except that the scherzo again Gergiev's best movement—is helped in Rotterdam by the glowing hall ambience). Davis's tempo for the powerful slavic main theme of the first movement seems just right, and there is an underlying thrust in the articulation which presses the music onwards (beginning at 3'36''). He achieves a buoyant lift in Borodin's characteristic imitative passages and holds back his climax to the very end of the movement when the main theme is powerfully re-injected and dramatically broadened in the coda (6'42''). Gergiev, with his more spacious approach, makes his climax at the re-entry of the main theme in the recapitulation, very strong and heavy (5'36''—again the Rotterdam amplitude is impressive) and at the end of the movement he is less dramatic. In the lovely Andante there is a gorgeous Toronto horn solo (the Rotterdam player is less striking) and the tune is equally glorious when it returns fullthroatedly on the violins (5'33'').
Davis's account of No. 3 immediately engages the ear with its plaintive opening oboe solo. The Toronto flutes are a delight, and the woodwind playing is equally charming at the opening of the second movement. His lightness of touch ensures that what is the weakest score of the three, still gives much pleasure. On CBS, as an encore, we are offered a strong, romantic account of the Prince Igor Overture and an exciting version of the Polovtsian Dances. Then come two bonus items which are ruined by poor CD transfers. The Philadelphia Orchestra under Ormandy take over and obviously give a richly voluptuous account of the Nocturne for string orchestra, but the transfer is coarse, with violins becoming thin and piercing above the stave. What follows is even worse. What is obviously a lively, colourful account of In central Asia is ruined by distortion in the upper harmonics of the woodwind. It is the sort of sound one used to get on a badly transferred cassette, with the Dolby treatment mis-applied. The result is impossible to listen to with any pleasure, and one wonders what kind of quality control could pass something as unpleasant as this on a major reissue.'