Although the high point of Tubin’s symphonic output lies with the middle-period works, Nos 5-8, the final trio show that he had by no means written himself out. A need to simplify his language is apparent in the Ninth (1969), subtitled Sinfonia semplice, though this is a simple symphony in name only. Its conflation of traditional four-movement design into two spans is cogent and convincing and its orchestration is masterly. Even more fascinating is the Tenth (1973), a 24-minute single movement that works on every level. How the Eleventh (1981) would have turned out in its intended four-movement guise is anyone’s guess, but judging from Kaljo Raid’s completion of the first movement, Tubin had reverted to the conventional format with a concentration that makes the absence of succeeding movements a great shame.

The Eleventh never made it into BIS’s reissued survey (3/03) under Neeme Järvi’s baton (even though he, apparently, requested Raid to make the completion), giving Alba’s cycle a quantitative advantage. On the whole, Järvi’s performances have the edge over Volmer’s in Nos 9 and 10, where BIS’s near-ideal sound is also a major factor. However, there is no denying that Volmer and the Estonian NSO have grown into their task, and their Eleventh burns with a brightness outshining the alternatives. Indeed, this new disc as a whole is compelling by virtue of the intensity of performance as well as the insights it provides into Tubin’s later years. Recommended.