The really great moment here occurs as the transition to the Fourth Symphony’s finale edges in from the fragmented close of the Scherzo, where Sakari Oramo encourages a quiet, deathly pale aura from the violins. The tempo is extremely broad but as the bold brass fanfares gradually intensify you can sense that the cathartic closing Allegro will be fast and exciting, which it is. Other plus-points are the sensitive balancing of the oboe and cello in the slow movement, and the fiery impetus of the Scherzo.

The first instalment of this cycle appeared a year or so ago (9/10). At the time, I was reviewing it alongside Fabio Luisi’s excellent complete cycle with the Vienna Symphony Orchestra (Orfeo) and came out marginally in favour of Luisi. This CD, though, shifts the balance back a little, not such much in Oramo’s favour as on a more or less equal footing with Luisi, whose Rhenish opens with immense gusto, whereas Oramo’s sings, with some uncommonly warm textures to bolster the effect.

Throughout both performances the Stockholm Philharmonic horns have a field day (so do the Sony engineers), but the result is never crude or unbalanced. I loved Oramo’s thoughtful slowing at around 4'53" into the second movement, before the main theme blazes back, and his delicate handling of the third movement, though here Luisi too is extremely poetic. There’s a sense of urgency about the “Cologne Cathedral” fourth movement (Oramo’s tempo is a good deal swifter than Luisi’s) and the well-judged finale brings the work to a cheery close. Both cycles stack up well against available competition, with Kubelík (in Berlin or, preferably, Munich), Sawallisch and Zinman being among my personal favourites.