01. - 04. Symphony No.5 in E minor, op.64 [45'02]
London Symphony Orchestra conducted by Malcolm Sargent
Everest SDBR 3039 (recorded May & June 1959; LP issued 1959; digital remaster 2008)
(flacs, booklet and cover scans)
Recording venue: Walthamstow Assembly Hall, London
Recording engineer: Bert Whyte & Aaron Nathanson; Producer: Bert Whyte
This digital download came to me as being another of Countdown Media's reissues but I am slightly dubious. Although the sound is in no way bad, there seems to be a general slight lack of life and sometime harshness in the strings which does not usually manifest itself in Countdowm Media's mastering. It would be good to hear the Omega Vanguard digital transfer which appeared in a 2-CD set.
Nevertheless, Sir Malcolm's excellent, colourful and dynamic interpretation with the London Symphony reveals itself here. I write excellent but there is one caveat - a substantial cut in the last movement. This was not uncommon at the time and was done in an attempt to improve the structure of the movement. Sargent applied the same cut in his earlier recording with the BBC Symphony - and so did Mengelberg, Furtwangler and the composer himself. As usual with such things, it would have been better to leave the work as written and fortunately the practice has been completely dropped.
Download from MEGA.