The first item on this, the second release in the already legendary series, is a glowing account of the 'Pastoral' Symphony (No 6). Let's face it: this is Beethoven at his best, and the orchestra seem to love it. The dynamic range is remarkably wide, with the main theme emerging gradually and overwhelming the senses with all the warmth of sunshine on a hot summer's day. The strings' vibrato is exceptionally clean, the winds demonstrate well-phrased legato, and Haitink brings a pleasing classical precision to the contrapuntal passages.

By the Brook has surely never been more beautifully played than it is here; this movement alone is enough to pay the ridiculously cheap price of £5.99 for the disc. There is a creaminess about the performance, thanks not least to the exquisite flutes and clarinets, that is very difficult to capture on record. Both here and in the dramatically-paced final sequence, the recording benefits from being based on live, high-energy performances.

The Happy Gathering of Villagers is far more buoyant than Haitink's previous recording of the work, thanks to a vigorous tempo and the perky LSO brass and winds. Particularly notable is the sprightly oboe, and the strings combine grace in the A section with muscle in the B section.

The timpani roll at the start of the fourth movement is as much warning as you need: this is going to be one hell of a thunderstorm. The brass surge forth with massive dissonant chords while the strings play a pulsing accompaniment. This is not just an orchestra with heft, either: witness the flute's soft and elegant scale that leads to the Shepherd's Song, its dreamy tone inspiring the strings to a golden sheen in the final movement.

Back in November, I felt that the performance of the Second Symphony was the weakest of the series; sad to say, the recording confirms this view. The first movement starts promisingly enough, poignant woodwinds in the slow introduction suggesting that an interpretation of great clarity is to follow. However, when the fast section arrives, the attack and sound is bombastic. This is Beethoven's most light-hearted symphony, and this irritatingly plodding performance will do nothing to make people take it more seriously.

The timpani player crashes about with too much force, the strings use too much vibrato, and in general the music seems to be going nowhere (the only time in this series that this has been the case). The tempo is also on the slow side, making the music drag on.

Haitink finds more beautiful colours in the second movement, where the clarinet is again exceptional in tone and expression. The horns are also at their best, and here the pacing is more spacious. However, the third movement is gratingly booming once more, the phrasing is poor, and the colours monochrome. And dreaming through the final movement serves the music very ill; many details are lost in a very cloudy performance.

The performance of the Pastoral is easily amongst the five best on record, and at this price, not worth resisting. You may want to turn off the CD player before coming to the Second Symphony, however…

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