Overall, [the performances] paint a picture of sovereign technical command, with an upholstered warmth of tone not automatically in the DNA of American orchestras…the Cleveland Orchestra has always been a by-word for the forensic exactitude of its players…But the empathy and expressive latitude Welser-Möst has added actually make you wonder if the orchestra has ever sounded better.

As an extended portrait of where a world-class orchestra currently stands, this release is all but ideal. The best performances are shattering in their virtuosity, and Welser-Möst is captured at his peak. On paper the odd mixture of repertoire might seem off-putting, but there are immense rewards here for adventurous listeners.

Cast your eyes over the contents. There’s nothing standard, let alone safe, about it. Even before considering the performances – which are quite something – every other aspect of the set manifests pride, care and sound...Like the set as a whole, [the Beethoven] adds up to more than the sum of its parts. What slows down the ear, tunes it into the pace of the musical argument, is the sheer beauty of the playing, like heightened naturalism on a canvas..Szell notwithstanding, I fancy that the orchestra has never sounded finer on disc.