London Symphony Orchestra/François-Xavier Roth
LSO Live LSO0833 (CD). Nicholas Parker, prod.; Jonathan Stokes and Neil Hutchinson, engs.
For 15 minutes or so, Roth delivers one of the best s in a while, a reading marked primarily by restraint. He doesn’t overplay the familiar “sunrise”: The organ pedal point is solid and unobtrusive, the fanfare firm and grand. The divided strings enter cautiously but with silky, vibrant tone. Roth’s speed for track 4 leaves the little notes sounding slightly frazzled, but it surges effectively. The fugue begins almost too quietly but builds steadily. Riding out of it, Roth nails the sudden upward color shift.
