REVIEW:

After the “Classical,” Prokofiev’s Fifth is his second most popular symphony. With recordings of the score currently numbering around 75, Sakari Oramo and the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra have their work cut out for them to make their mark.

This, so far as I can tell, is only Oramo’s second go at Prokofiev on record. Up until now, Oramo is a conductor I’ve associated mainly with Sibelius and a number of other 20th-century Finnish composers, though I note from his discography that his repertoire is quite diverse.

In general, I like these performances. Oramo handles the spirited hijinks of the Fifth Symphony’s second movement with just the right touch of bad-boy, tongue-in-cheek humor, calling to mind Gershwin and a number of the French composers Prokofiev met during his time in Paris.

A very full disc (almost 80 minutes) and excellent recorded sound contribute to making this Ondine release an attractive and recommended addition to the Prokofiev discography.

-- Fanfare: Jerry Dubins