That Stalinist Cat And Mouse Game again

One of the superior BBC Music mag cover disks with their regular workhorses the BBC Philharmonic under Gianandrea Noseda playing Symphony No 5 by Prokofiev. As an aside, it is interesting how more frequently the BBC Phil crop up on these cover disks as opposed to the Beeb's other house orchestras. I think it is generally thought that they have been the strongest outfit for some time now. Anyway, back to Prokofiev. The fifth was written towards the end of WW2 and the composer describes it as a symphony of the grandeur of he human spirit. But although Prokofiev's output isn't dissected to the same degree as that of Shostakovich for subtle nuances and hidden subtexts, it seems that there is an ambiguity to this symphony with hints of sarcasm and darker forces. Being Prokofiev, however, it can't help but be stuffed with memorable melodies and these help givee it the popularity it retains in the repertoire. He certainly stands comparison with Shostakovich and should in no way be in his shadow. The disk also includes the overture and two waltzes from his opera War and Peace, a particularly fraught project to try and bring off in Stalinist times.