Hi-Res Downloads

96kHz/24-bit FLAC, BIS-2028 (supplied by www.eclassical.com)

David Fanning sets out composer and public responses to these two complex and interrelated works from 1916/22 in a fine booklet note. These are symphonies I’ve struggled with over the years, in recordings by Jascha Horenstein, Neeme Järvi, Colin Davis, Leonard Bernstein, et al, and at last a superb new coupling where the conductor and his Stockholm orchestra hand me a key, opening the door at last... This is because the sound is so beautiful, the strings often heard ppp, and clarinettist Hermann Stefánsson well deserving his booklet credit for his playing in No.5, yet Oramo still captures the rawness, the abruptness of the symphonic argument. It was all spaciously recorded in the orchestra’s concert hall, and produced by Jens Braun (his name cropping up frequently now – eg, recent Hyperion releases). Outstanding! CB

Sound Quality: 95%

Hi-Fi News Lab Report

Our analysis of this genuine 24-bit/96kHz file [Graph; No. 5, Tempo giusto – Adagio] reveals much of the ultrasonic energy as orchestral percussion right out to the ~45kHz cut-off. A 192kHz recording would have captured even more! PM