Stanislaw Skrowaczewski made some very good records for Mercury and Vox in the 1960s and 1970s when he was conductor of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra—it was re-named the Minnesota Orchestra during his reign. He was appointed Principal Conductor and Musical Adviser of the Halle Orchestra in 1984 and this is his first recording with them. They sound here in very good form under his leadership. Every section is technically first rate and the ensemble as a whole possesses an impressive depth and homogeneity of tone. When CD competition in this symphony is still surprisingly thin it would be good to welcome a bargain-price issue, especially when it has such a pleasingly warm and mellow sound, but alas, the performance is most disappointing.
The shape of things to come is set at the beginning of the first movement, which not only has a slow basic tempo (surely not the indicated allegro non troppo), but is conducted in a somewhat grey, sluggish fashion, with the already slow pulse exacerbated by frequent rallentandos and pauses. With the repeat taken it becomes a long movement indeed. The slow movement sounds careful and deliberate, with little warmth to raise the spirits, and even the Allegretto grazioso third movement is limp and unsmiling. At the beginning of the last movement there is at last some real life and vitality, but as the music progresses one is aware of a lack of tension and sense of structure, so that the climax brings no feeling of symphonic argument triumphantly resolved. The Tragic Overture starts with real momentum, but even here it rather sags in the middle to produce overall a somewhat solid effect.
Solti's Decca coupling is much superior to the Pickwick disc, though after he conducts an excellent first movement of the symphony the second movement is a little ponderous and the third movement a little too bland, while the finale suffers from patches of rhythmic rigidity. Giulini's searching, introspective DG version is interesting but has a predominantly slow pulse throughout, while Bernstein, also on DG, offers an attractively lyrical performance marred by a langorously yearning slow movement and a slightly underpowered finale. Both Wand, on EMI, and Walter, on CBS, omit the first movement repeat. Wand conducts a beautifully shaped, lyrical performance, though the finale only takes wing in the middle of the movement: his disc contains just the symphony. Walter's disc, in very good sound, adds a very fine Academic Festival Overture, and his account of the symphony shows great wisdom and insight. Choice is between Walter and Wand, I feel.'