The virtues of this performance—these forces gave the premiere of the symphony—originally available on this label some years ago but not submitted for review, are well known: it has impressive authority, a masterly grasp of architecture and great depth of feeling. However, the sound was not good by the standards of its day: Mitropoulos and the NYPO (CBS mono) are much better served and theirs is hardly less impressive an account. There is much to be said for investing in a first recording of modern work with its white-hot inspiration and total commitment—such as Koussevitzky's 78rpm accounts of Prokofiev's Fifth (HMV DB6660/4) or Sibelius Seventh (HMV DB1980/6, 1/34), or the Oistrakh/Mitropoulos Shostakovich First Violin Concerto (Philips ABL3101, 7/56—nla)—for this musical intensity is more important than high fidelity. However, in this instance the primitive sound will present a major obstacle to the collector, even though the pressing is exemplary. The frequency range of this Russian recording, made in the mid-1950s at about the same time as the 1954 Mitropoulos account, is very limited and climaxes suffer from distortion. Even if something of the stature of the performance can still be glimpsed, I would not on balance recommend it in preference to the Mitropoulos. Were Karajan's earlier record on DG (139 020, 1/69) to reappear at mid-price, it would be a first recommendation on LP and until then, Mitropoulos or the later Karajan (also DG) are the ones to have. Previn (HMV), always at his best in this repertoire, is more impressively recorded but has not the grip of the Karajan.'