Looking back I see that I found Kubelik's account of Nielsen's Fifth Symphony, recorded at a concert performance, ''a humane, deeply musical reading whose breadth is impressive''. I did feel (and still find) that ''the gain in breadth is at the cost of a certain impetus'' but there is no doubting that he achieves a strong sense of space and atmosphere. Yes, he is slower than the metronome marking in the second movement, and the first movement alone runs to 21'23''. Not, then, for those who like their Nielsen to be taut: all the same it is always thoughtful and deeply felt. On its first appearance it came on its own, a movement per side, and now makes its CD debut.
Dorati's 1969 accounts of Luonnotar, Night Ride and Sunrise and The Oceanides came with En saga, and hold up well. They are thoroughly well-prepared readings and still sound good. All the same it must be conceded that in The Oceanides Dorati is no match for Beecham or Rattle, nor is his Night Ride quite as impressive or as poetic as the Rattle. Luonnotar with Dame Gwyneth has sweep and power, even if it was arguably superseded some years later by Valjakka and Berglund (EMI, 2/76—nla). It was the first recording of this magical score to be released here; Phyllis Curtin's 1965 CBS record with Bernstein took eight years to reach these shores (and the Schwarzkopf account remained in the realms of rumour). The LSO play excellently throughout. A welcome and worthwhile reissue. '