Here comes that musical behemoth again! We all know and love this great, big bear of a symphony, composed during the height of the German onslaught of Russia, replete with its parodistic march in the first movement and the somber, dramatic finale pointing to the optimistic future of the world. We know that the work was so fervent in its patriotism that it was picked up by orchestras all over during the war (sixty performances in the USA in one year alone!) And many famous conductors have recorded their versions over the years, including Ancerl, Bernstein and, yes, Toscanini who years later felt embarrassed by the fact. But what counts here is the authentic approach of the late Evgeny Svetlanov (1928-2002). At age 14 he heard the radio broadcast of the workís premiere on August 9, 1942. This CD is only his second recording of the work, the earlier with the Russian State Symphony. If you remember those raw-sounding Russian recordings of the past, youíll appreciate the refinement and sound of this live recording from 1993.