Scriabin: Le Poème de l'extase, Op. 54 (Symphony No. 4 'The Poem of Ecstacy')

“Evgeny Svetlanov's 1966 recording with the USSR Symphony Orchestra has always been a front-runner. Coupled on this disc with the Second Symphony, the performance [of Le Poème de l'Extase] is remarkable both for the lucidity and languor Svetlanov achieves and for the degree of disquiet and menace that enters into his interpretation. Svetlanov also capitalises on the orchestra's rich resources, whether in the striving trumpet tune that forms a fixed idea throughout the piece or in the general kaleidoscope of motifs and timbres that Skryabin deploys in creating his sensuous canvas.” Daily Telegraph, 19th July 2008

“Valery Gergiev is the conductor to choose if it’s raw primitivism you’re after and blow the detail. There's plenty of red mist, and at times you can almost smell the sweat and tribal greasepaint, but it’s also unkempt in places and not for all moods.” BBC Music Magazine, July 2008