The Sixth Symphony’s shocking innocence and grim drama has rarely sounded so close at hand. If there’s one thing I miss it’s the ability to stand back from vivid, immediate impression and bring a sense of formal perspective , but how necessary is that when the experience itself, moment by moment , is so gripping?

I hope readers who only listen to CDs will not miss out on this fine, but digital-only, recording. Franz Welser-Möst and his orchestra have regularly confounded expectations in the Prokofiev symphonies and this is another rendition of stature, generally un-rowdy yet by no means underpowered.