Kurt Sanderling's representation on disc is patchy at best. Apart from a rigorous, rather dour Beethoven cycle made for EMI in London in 1980 and a Dresden Brahms cycle from the early 1970s, few of his important stereo recordings have been distributed widely in the UK. His 1993's Shostakovich Fifteenth was disappointingly bland, seemingly preoccupied with finer points of detail, and it certainly failed to impress DJF. Some of these tendencies are present in the Eighth, recorded in 1976 with his own orchestra in East Berlin. Again, it is massively slow and studied - only Dmitri Shostakovich is more deliberate - but the fires burn that much more brightly.

This series of recordings that Kurt Sanderling did with the Berliner Sinfonia-Orchester (BSO - not the BPO) date from the late 1970s and are remarkable for their depth of understanding and delivery. This disc, recorded in 1978 and still in completely acceptable sound, delivers one of the most convincing recordings yet made of this final symphony. This performance joins the others by Sanderling which altogether add up to a very fine series indeed.

This series of recordings that Kurt Sanderling did with the Berliner Sinfonia-Orchester date from the late 1970s and are remarkable for their depth of understanding and delivery. This disc, recorded in 1974 and still in completely acceptable sound. Sanderling may not be among the first names mentioned when discussing Sibelius interpreters, but he should be. His Sibelius symphonies cycle with the too-underrated Berlin Symphony is one of the very best.