Trevor Harvey greeted this in the warmest terms—and rightly so. As a performance it is quite glorious and can hold its own with any of its rivals (Bohm, Jochum, Barbirolli, Boult and other classic accounts), and in terms of recorded sound it is unsurpassed. In its LP format, TH noted its wide-ranging dynamics, its warmth ''and real 'presence'''. The sound is, indeed, full-bodied and well-defined. Yet the Compact Disc is undoubtedly superior: the instruments seem positively tangible. Initially, I wondered whether the higher transfer level of the CD was responsible for the greater sense of immediacy but adjusting the controls still leaves the CD sounding firmer, more 'present' and richer. Altogether a most impressive disc and though one might quibble about the balance (one is placed very forward in the concert hall), there is no doubt that this is (to quote TH again) ''a winner among the many recordings of this heavenly symphony''.'