Sibelius: Symphonies Nos. 1 & 5 / Romance for Strings (Essential Classics)

Bernstein's 1961 recording of this symphony with the New York Philharmonic was one of his greatest successes, an incandescent account full of craggy grandeur and lyric intensity. Skillfully remastered by Sony, it sounds considerably more vivid here than in its first CD incarnation. Best of all, it now comes coupled with a magnificent recording of the First Symphony from Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia Orchestra. At mid-price, this makes for one of the finest and most affordable starter discs in the catalog. --Ted Libbey