The art of Claus Peter Flor appears to have matured greatly with the passing of time. I can recall interviewing him many years ago when he confessed to special admiration for Rafael Kubelík; and, while Flor’s way with Dvořák’s Seventh Symphony is quite unlike Kubelík’s in specific detail, its implication of mood and climate is quite similar. The opening is slow and full of foreboding, the ensuing arguments flexible and lyrically stated though rarely exaggerated. You have a definite sense of a charted terrain, a varied journey keenly observed, with subtle shifts of pace as the scenery changes: the emphatic central climax becomes a real event, as does the closing climax of the Poco adagio second movement. Flor achieves a pleasing lift at the start of the Scherzo and I like the way the Trio floats into earshot. The finale is powerful, the second subject without the swaggering ritardando favoured by both Kubelík and another strong rival, Nikolaus Harnoncourt (who also affects a rather effete, excessively legato Scherzo). I sensed even greater dramatic thrust in the two fill-ups, especially Othello, which is given a cracking performance (and a recording to match), whereas I’d say that in The Wild Dove Flor and Harnoncourt are on a more or less equal footing, though Harnoncourt’s Royal Concertgebouw is the more seasoned instrument.

Decca’s well-transferred Pierre Monteux reissue is typical in its musical intelligence and attention to inner detail, though I was surprised that in Monteux’s hands the last moments of the Scherzo’s Trio sounds just a little stiff and awkward, the last thing you expect from him. The Poco adagio has rarely sounded more Brahmsian and although having divided violin desks is as ever a boon, their antiphonal effect is less vivid than on the BIS recording. Harnoncourt also favours separated violins.

Monteux’s fill-up is a vivid performance of Elgar’s Enigma Variations that many consider to be the best ever recorded, and with good reason: just try either the hushed start of ‘Nimrod’ or the thrilling last variation. Both are truly exceptional. As to the Dvořák Symphony, I still enjoy Serebrier’s earthy account for Warner, though Flor’s fill-ups are better; Harnoncourt is typically imaginative, Kubelík passionate in a way that was unique to him and Flor, a strong presence, well worth considering for both technical and musical reasons. As I say, Othello in particular is superb and the Malaysian Philharmonic play brilliantly throughout.