Serge Prokofiev - Prokofiev: Concerto No.3, Symphony No.5 (2000)

Another memorable pair of transfers from Michael Dutton--and in the first, a fine memorial to the pianism of Prokofiev himself. The concerto was recorded at Abbey Road in London in 1932, the year before Prokofiev returned to live in the Soviet Union after nearly two decades away. His playing in this famous performance crackles and bubbles along, while the LSO is on great form under Piero Coppola, who apparently brought Prokofiev to London for the occasion. One could have wished the piano had been recorded a shade more forward, but overall the sound is easily vivid enough to allow you to ignore the date of the performance. The Boston Symphony (in 1946) is just magnificent under its legendary conductor Serge Koussevitzky, who while still in Russia had published some of Prokofiev's music. The string sound in particular is simply electrifying (try the Adagio), but then the whole body of sound is wonderfully constructed, massive and so physical in its impact, disciplined and yet off-the-leash at the same time. If hi-fi is not the first object (though, again, the sound here wears its age wonderfully well) then this version of this marvellous symphony should be considered alongside any other as a first choice. Seriously. -- Andrew Green