Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, BIS-1939 (supplied by www.eclassical.com)

Oramo’s Swedish orchestra plays Elgar with real warmth and commitment, especially the brass – glorious in the finale and at the end of the overture Cockaigne (where accurately dry bass-drum sounds are underpinned by organ – an option not always heard in recordings). There’s some characterful phrasing here by the principal clarinettist, presumably Hermann Stefánsson [see Hi-Res Downloads HFN Aug ’14]. In the slow movement of the symphony those ever softer repeated string motifs are wonderfully sensitively graded. Incidentally, Oramo has his first/second violins antiphonally divided. The May 2012/Oct ’13 recordings are naturally balanced, set quite forward in the Stockholm Concert Hall: a full, detailed sound. John Pickard’s booklet note is very good too! Score readers will find both these works free to view as online PDFs. CB

Sound Quality: 90%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

This is a genuine 96kHz/24-bit digital recording made available here in native form. Harmonics of the sparkling percussion ring out across its full ~45kHz bandwidth [see Graph, Cockaigne (In London Town), above]. PM