Here’s an efficient, rather hard-hearted Planets that for once finds Sir Colin and the LSO not quite at the peak of their considerable powers. ‘Mars’ serves up an awesomely impressive panoply of sound but it’s tainted by a whiff of slick display and there’s curiously little minatory tension. ‘Venus’ is much more to my liking, chaste rather than sensuous and featuring some lovely solo work. ‘Mercury’ is just a little stiff and poker-faced, and the same goes for the outer portions of ‘Jupiter’, where I could also have done without the trumpets’ gratuitous octave doubling from 9 after fig 16 or 7'10" (a vulgar, sensational touch). ‘Saturn’ goes best, though the consolatory coda is not terribly moving. For once, ‘Uranus’ fails to raise a chuckle as it cavorts towards its devastating climax. The off-stage chorus is, as usual, uncomfortably flat by the work’s close. Digging out André Previn’s much-loved 1973 version with the same band proved instructive, for there you discover in abundance the endearing spontaneity and infectious spark this Barbican performance so conspicuously lacks.

Tony Faulkner’s engineering is among the most satisfying yet from this source but still falls short of the demonstration-worthy results he secures on comparative versions under Mark Elder and Sir Andrew Davis. The latter’s Apex reissue costs as little as this LSO Live release and remains the most attractive option for a super-budget Planets.