Though seldom encountered in the concert-hall, the Honegger symphonies are decently represented on CD. There are complete cycles by Dutoit (Erato), Plasson (EMI), Baudo (Supraphon) and numerous individual symphonies, most notably Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic coupling of Nos. 2 and 3. When I first heard the Fifth in the early 1950s I was immediately struck by the resemblance of the opening bars (with their triads in contrary motion) to Milhaud's Moses and have long wondered whether it was a deliberate tribute or merely fortuitous. Not even Harry Halbreich's important new study (Fayard: 1992) resolves it. Be that as it may, the Fifth remains one of Honegger's most individual scores, and this new recording from Neeme Jarvi and the Danish Radio orchestra serves it well. Unlike Charles Dutoit and the Bavarian Radio orchestra, there is nothing restrained here and even if the finale does not quite match the sheer exhilaration and gusto of Serge Baudo's wonderful Supraphon account from the early 1960s (which now sounds far more full bodied in its new transfer), the Jarvi is not far behind: moreover it is very well recorded. So, too, is the rest of the programme and although the playing of the Danish orchestra for Jarvi in the Symphonie Liturgique does not outshine that of the Berlin Philharmonic for Karajan this is a thoroughly convincing and to my ears compelling account. The Pacific 231 also thunders mightily along the track though not quite as speedily as it did for Honegger himself (now available on Pearl). Recommended.'