Svetlanov possessed the grace and fervor of the rare giants of the conducting world. With the Russian Federation Academic Symphony Orchestra (formerly the USSR State Symphony Orchestra) as well as other orchestras such as the NHK Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestre National de France he restored poignant urgency to the symphonies of Mahler and Tchaikovsky. He sparked the magic of Russian opera with his interpretations of Rimsky-Korsakov" s The Golden Cockerel and The Maid of Pskov at the Bolshoi. He embodied Russian tradition, especially in the readings of Miaskovsky" s Symphonies. As with Soviet-era Prokofiev, only more so, Myaskovsky" s material is always melodic with a self-effacing brand of eloquence. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Svetlanov undertook the formidable project of recording the complete Miaskovsky orchestral music. The recordings were made in the early 1990s in a partnership between Svetlanov and the UK"s Olympia Records and met with unanimous critical acclaim. In 2007, Warner France obtained these rare recordings (35 Svetlanov sets in all) so that the world could share the stunning power and insight of a remarkable musician.