There are many great performances of the Symphony of Psalms, but if there"s a finer one than this, I haven"t heard it. The choral singing is simply unequaled in any other recording, and the plangent tone of the Czech Philharmonic winds suits the music perfectly. Karel Ancerl was one of the great Stravinsky conductors. He recorded a much wider range of the composer"s music than most, and did all of it superbly. The Oedipus has all the same qualities as the Symphony, including a fine cast of native singers. The lack of texts may be a drawback for some, but at mid-price you can afford more than one version of these very great pieces. --David Hurwitz