Back in the 1960s the name István Kertész was for many of us inextricably associated with what at the time was the exciting and “present” Decca sound – strings that had a real edge, prominent brass and timpani, and clear but always well balanced woodwinds. Kertész’s Decca legacy still retains its appeal, including a fine account of Brahms’s Second Symphony with the Vienna Philharmonic, one of the first stereo versions (if not the first) to include the opening Allegro’s long exposition repeat. This Royal Festival Hall relay with the LSO doesn’t include it, and yet common to both performances is clarity, energy and an abundance of affection, especially in that mostly lyrical first movement. I wouldn’t call it an especially distinctive performance but it is an extremely good one, very well played, and while the broadcast recording isn’t quite up to what Decca might have achieved in that same year (1966) it too comes across vividly, very natural.

The achingly beautiful Larghetto at the heart of Schumann’s Spring Symphony is also the high-point of Kertész’s 1965 performance which otherwise subscribes to the same solid, musically straightforward interpretative formula that works so well for Brahms. Good to hear a vintage LSO brass section ringing resplendent in Matthew Locke’s Music for His Majesty’s Sackbutts & Cornetts. Again, the sound is admirably well balanced. Excellent notes from Colin Anderson complete a release that will probably appeal most to those who have fond memories of seeing Kertész and the LSO in concert. Others should sample first.