How fortunes have changed for this magnificent symphony in the recording studio! Had the present admirable transfer of Bernstein's splendid performance appeared, say, five years ago, chances are it would have rightly swept the board. However, the last few years have brought us a clutch of distinguished newcomers, most notably Handley and Slatkin. Re-hearing Bernstein's interpretation after a long period, what struck me this time round was not so much the impressive grip and sheer physical excitement of it all, but rather the disturbing intensity of the first movement's bleached coda (as well as its ghostly refrain in the finale). Note, too, the memorable sotto voce string tone at the start of the Andante moderato. Indeed, apart from some dodgy ensemble at 1'38'' into the Scherzo, the playing of the NYPO is of a very high order indeed, and the reading as a whole remains a powerful, compelling experience.
Alas, Bernstein's lugubrious, at times mannered, way with the other items is rather less to my liking (after an uncomfortably hesitant opening, turgidity soon afflicts the Tallis Fantasia), though some darker details in the orchestral canvas of the glorious Serenade to Music are adroitly pinpointed. For the symphony alone, however, this reissue is definitely worth the attention of all VW enthusiasts.'