To read RL's erudite and on the whole, enthusiastic exposition on this valuable grouping of the Sibelius tone-poems, you will have to refer to the June 1978 issue. Coincidentally on the very last page of that same issue, under the heading Stop Press (page 136), we broke the news that Philips intended to go ahead with a revolutionary digital record to be known as Compact Disc. The two LPs which RL discussed and compared at some length were originally recorded for RCA in 1977 by Brian Couzens, now directing Chandos. These were analogue, made at a time when we were actively dallying with grandiose ideas of four-channel systems in the home and to be 'future safe' most engineers were laying down the additional tracks which might be needed. The availability of these four-channel, one-inch master tapes has enabled the Chandos team to produce an effective remix on to a digital master as the basis for these two CDs. This has resulted in a 'born-again' version with enhanced dynamics and only the faintest suggestion of its age, and that as much in the way the SNO have developed over the years, as in recording techniques.
There are some small variations in the quality and the ambience of the individual items, but on the whole the balance has been well looked after. The reach and spread of sound have the natural approach which characterizes Couzen's work. The acoustic of Glasgow City Hall is suitably airy and moderately resonant, which greatly suits most of these items. These vary from the rarely heard Luonnotar, featuring the free-ranging soprano voice of Phyllis Bryn-Julson to great effect, to the over exposed, almost hackneyed, Finlandia.
I imagine only the keenest Sibelian will wish to play through the whole group in one session; if they do, they may find someone's foot beating time becoming distracting; it is particularly active in Night ride. One would suspect the conductor but the thump seems to come mainly from the right loudspeaker.'