Dvorák’s Seventh Symphony presents conductors with difficult choices right from the start. How does one interpret the first movement’s Allegro maestoso marking, for instance? Is the maestoso (majestic) directive meant to modify the basic Allegro tempo or does it have more to do with character? (Or is it both, perhaps?) And how does one reconcile the score’s seemingly incompatible elements – fluid, legato lines that are suddenly broken into ragged rhythmic motifs or that are made breathless by phrases that start off the beat?

Yakov Kreizberg’s solution is to emphasise the lyrical. His tempo is graceful, the music’s jagged edges are softened, and supple phrasing minimises the breathlessness. The result is rather beautiful, thanks to the expressive and refined playing of the Netherlands Philharmonic. There’s excitement in the climactic passages, too, though Kreizberg’s conciliatory approach ultimately lets the tension sag. Colin Davis, in his authoritative Concertgebouw recording, revels in the music’s contradictions and gets closer to the movement’s throbbing heart.

Kreizberg is most persuasive in the Poco adagio where he sets and sustains a rapt, tender atmosphere. The Scherzo flows elegantly but needs more energy and rhythmic snap. And in the finale, Kreizberg pushes and pulls the tempo around so freely that the structure more or less crumbles.

The Golden Spinning-Wheel is altogether more successful. Kreizberg allows the narrative to unfold naturally and his story-telling is surely paced. Still, both Rattle and Harnoncourt elicit far more characterful playing from their respective orchestras, and the recorded sound of the latter is extremely fine. This Pentatone disc also sounds terrific, particularly in SACD format; musically, though, it’s a disappointment.