“Prior’s uncanny ability to remorselessly unfold textures and events took over in the second movement, where the second great build-up, taken really fast, was the most menacing and ruthless and powerful of any performance I have heard. There was deep sadness when that fog returns, with a real lament in the trumpets. Then the final movement was deliberately, strictly, built up, almost rigid in its remorselessness, until it broke out into the big march, full of truly terrible Stalinist dread. This was a harrowing interpretation of real power, once again demonstrating Prior’s outstanding abilities in Russian repertoire.”
