This third of Owain Arwel Hughes’s recordings of the Rachmaninov symphonies for BIS rounds off the series with a sympathetic reading of the First Symphony, well coupled with the rare symphonic poem, Prince Rostislav. Dating from 1891, even earlier than the symphony, it is a haunting tone-picture inspired by the legend of a prince killed in battle and ‘buried’ in the Dnieper, who in agony cries out from the depths for help from the living. Dark and meditative, with a dramatic climax, it is a remarkably confident piece for a composer still in his teens, bringing an evocative performance from Hughes and the orchestra that’s more intense than that of the symphony.

It was in 1945, two years after the composer’s death, that Prince Rostislav was finally performed, the same year the First Symphony was brought out of limbo after its disastrous first performance in 1897. The score had to be reconstructed from the orchestral parts and a piano-duet reduction, yet now it is a much-record work. Though this BIS version cannot quite match those of Previn and Ashkenazy in dramatic tension, with ensemble not quite as crisp, it comes in full, bright, well-focused sound, with opulent brass, to make it a fair contender for those who fancy the rare coupling. The open acoustic allows clarity for even the most complex textures, letting one appreciate excellent woodwind playing from the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.