Jean Martinon (1910-76), heir apparent to Charles Munch, was not only a successful conductor (except in his native France, other than spasmodically) but an accomplished composer, and I believe that it is his composer’s ear that makes his performances of Prokofiev so dazzling. His recordings of a number of Prokofiev orchestral works with the ORTF National Orchestra are available as a Vox Box set, including the symphonies, but you’d have to go a long way to beat these performances with the Conservatoire Orchestra, made in 1957. The orchestra possesses an almost chamber-like sound, but this does not prevent Martinon from drawing from it warm, passionate readings; it’s a remarkable combination.

The tense promise of the opening Andante of No 5 rapidly blossoms into a powerful, vibrant and well-shaped discourse. The climactic moments are never overblown, and this pays great dividends in the clarity of orchestral detail. Examples of this abound, but the sparkling wind playing and crystalline harp in his nimble account of the second movement of No 7 is one of the most striking.

Such an ear for detail never obscures the larger picture, however, and Martinon attains an extraordinary balance in Prokofiev’s sometimes almost schizophrenic writing. The way he balances a stateliness that even manages to suggest Elgar with a Gallic elegance in the Andante espressivo of No 7 is nothing short of miraculous. These revelatory performances have been excellently remastered by Paul Baily; any Prokofiev lover should invest without hesitation.