Philharmonia Orchestra & Santtu-Matias Rouvali - Prokofiev: Symphony No.5 (2021) CD-Rip

The Philharmonia was clearly on its collective toes for this young Finnish conductor – now its principal conductor designate – in this live recording made in February last year. The mildly resonant acoustic allows details of orchestral colour to emerge that I do not recall in other recorded accounts. Santtu-Matias Rouvali also draws fascinating parallels between the Fifth and the eerie Third Symphony created by Prokofiev from his opera The Fiery Angel: for instance, in the first movement’s recapitulation of the second main theme Rouvali has the violins and violas play sul ponticello – so adding a sinister rasping sound to their accompaniment to the flute and oboe melody.