Symphony No. 2 / Romanian Rhapsody, No. 2
The Second Symphony is a huge, massively-scored orchestra extravaganza  in three huge movements. In a way, the music is its own worst enemy. It's so  full of invention, and the composer tosses off ideas in such profusion, that the  musical argument can get lost in the shuffle. The problem is compounded by the  fact that the symphony is atrociously difficult to play. It's the job of the  conductor and the orchestra to clarify the musical line through balance and  emphasis, and this requires either close familiarity or long hours of rehearsal.  If the music were trivial or insignificant it wouldn't really matter, but with a  masterpiece, as is the case here, it's a crime not to lavish as much attention  on the music as it requires. It seems that Gennady Rozhdestvensky and the BBC  Philharmonic had the time. This is a splendid performance from soup to nuts.--David Hurwitz