WITH this title due for release on the 30 January, Marin Alsop, in her Brahms cycle with Naxos, now joins the ranks of conductors who have put their mark on Brahms 3 in studio, arguably the composer's best symphony. The first movement enjoys a great sense of endless buoyancy, which she works up to a fervent climax, but the Allegretto doesn't boast the same clarity of texture and direction as the other movements. The Variations on St Anthony's Chorale is also included here and, recorded a year later, certainly benefit from a better recording set- up.

Karen Dervan