Like Edward Seckerson, I was greatly impressed by the recent recording of Sibelius’s First Symphony conducted by Santtu-Matias Rouvali. Here is a performance of similar grip, vitality and communicative power. Although slightly slower than most conductors in the first movement, Owain Arwel Hughes maintains tension at a high level and the return of the Allegro energico theme in the recapitulation is absolutely thrilling. Like Rouvali, Hughes also provides an interpretation that’s splendidly articulate and vivid, the symphony sounding more original and forward-looking than usual as a result, an effect especially pronounced in the faster passages of the Andante. There’s even a brief anticipation of the opening of the Fourth Symphony in the writing for bassoons, cellos and double basses just after fig I (5'30") in the first movement. Unlike Rouvali, whose management of dynamics occasionally draws attention to itself, Hughes gives us a very direct performance of the score, free of any interpretative exaggeration. The playing of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is first class in all departments, with yearningly expressive strings in the finale’s big theme and a notably propulsive contribution from the timpani.

Hughes’s account of the Third Symphony is equally compelling, clarity and expression once again hallmarks of the interpretation. There’s a strong sense of exhilaration in the first movement and poignancy in the second, aided by the deeply felt playing of the woodwinds. In the finale, Hughes builds the movement to a stirring conclusion, the pace slightly more measured than the otherwise similarly lucid account by Osmo Vänskä, but also more powerful, underpinned by some standout playing from the brass. With the recording in the experienced hands of producer Andrew Keener and engineer Phil Rowlands, it’s no surprise that the sound quality is as commendable as the musicianship. Altogether a terrific start to Rubicon’s new cycle of the Sibelius symphonies.