Composers: Mahler Compositions: Symphony No 4 Performers: Carolyn Sampson s, Minnesota Orchestra, Osmo Vänskä Catalogue Number: BIS BIS2356 (SACD)

This is one of the finest Mahler Fours I’ve ever heard. I’ve heard critical remarks about Osmo Vänskä’s “objective” approach to Mahler. If that’s what it is, I’m delighted with it.

It isn’t cosmically histrionic like Bernstein’s, but it certainly isn’t faceless either: hear the discreet rubato throughout and, even more impressive, the way he adopts a...