Ashkenazy's Sibelius series with the Philharmonia yielded one of the outstanding demonstration discs of the first batch of CDs last year in the Fourth Symphony and Finlandia (400 056-2, 3/83), and was followed up equally impressively by the Fifth (410 016-2, 8/83). If this latest CD instalment is less striking, it is simply that it comes up against formidable opposition in terms of recorded sound in Gibson's Chandos issue. The Chandos is transferred at a marginally higher level, and my immediate impression was that it was even more vivid than the Decca, but the more spacious acoustic of London's Kingsway Hall where Ashkenazy was recorded brings ample compensations, particularly in the heavier tuttis where the SNO sound by comparison has a hint of congestion with violins high and loud not quite pure. Interpretatively Gibson is plainer, preferring faster speeds, Ashkenazy more volatile and expressive, as for example in the mysterious opening of the slow movement. HE also points the great climaxes with more passion, and the Philharmonia ensemble is noticeably crisper in the string articulation of the scherzo. Oddly the Decca issue has its fourth band not at the beginning of the finale (though that is where it claims it is) but cutting into the bassoon solo two bars after fig. 9 half way through the finale.'