This is Naxos' final installment of Glazunov symphonies that appears in their complete survey of orchestral works. The Fifth has always been one of the more popular works and it receives a splendid performance here.
I would still rate Svetlanov's white-hot Melodiya account (LP) as the finest but Anissimov runs him close with a judiciously paced First Movement and rousing Allegro moderato that concludes the work in typical Glazunov fashion. The Eighth Symphony is more of a mixed bag structurally but Anissimov is a persuasive advocate and keeps the flow of the music in fine fettle. The Finale is particularly edifying here.
Serviceable recordings and detailed notes added to an evocative front cover make this a very desirable bargain.
Copyright © 2001, Gerald Fenech