It seems that Asrael's time has well and truly come, and the appearance of these two new contenders swells the number of versions currently available to an indecently healthy seven. Evgeni Svetlanov's interpretation is not without its impressive moments, and he certainly coaxes some fine, characterful playing from his Russian State SO who seem to enjoy making this score's acquaintance (the unpleasantly sour oboe contribution a mere 36 seconds into the piece is, happily, not indicative of standards as a whole). However, considering the recent provenance (the sleeve says 1993) of this Russian Disc production, the engineering is rather lacking in body and tonal lustre, even if the formidable cutting edge of Svetlanov's brass section undeniably lends an exciting, steely brilliance to climaxes. Whether this performance ultimately adds anything to our knowledge of this extraordinary music, I'm not so sure, but Svetlanov's advocacy is committed, sympathetic and heartfelt, nowhere more so than in the full flowering of the third movement's poignant middle section; only the hesitant half-lights of the second movement Andante seem to find him (and his admirable strings) momentarily ill-at-ease. Despite these obstacles, it remains an account of some substance and one which all Sukians will want to check out.
Of course, a decade ago we would have been profoundly grateful for any new recording of this masterpiece, but these days, I'm delighted to report, competition is unusually fierce. Apart from first-rate versions under Pesek and Belohlavek—both splendid in their own ways—Panton have just unearthed a 1981 studio recording featuring no less a partnership than the BRSO under Rafael Kubelik. To say this represents buried treasure would be the understatement of the year. Setting Kubelik's reading alongside that of Svetlanov (or either of the modern versions listed above for that matter), one is immediately aware of a wholly compelling imaginative intensity and interpretative flair that betoken a true poet of the rostrum. What's more, Kubelik's control throughout is awesome and he conjures up playing of enormous expressive subtlety from his fine Munich orchestra. In my experience, no other recorded performance—not even Vaclav Talich's legendary 1952 Supraphon account—succeeds in conveying the intensely personal nature of this music with such devastating emotional candour. Technically, too, one need have no qualms about this Panton product—the Bavarian Radio engineers secure most truthful results within the accommodating acoustic of Munich's famous Herkulessaal. In a recent ''Building a Library'' slot on BBC Radio 3's Record Review programme, my colleague JS chose Kubelik's Asrael in preference to all others: I wholeheartedly concur!'