The London Philharmonic Orchestra has released a flurry of new live recordings to celebrate the 20th year of its inhouse label, chief among them this outstanding collection of works by Benjamin Britten. And while the Sinfonia da Requiem is a reasonably known quantity, the newly assembled ballet suite from The Prince of the Pagodas and the orchestrated version of the song cycle Winter Words are both world premieres.

The Sinfonia da Requiem was written by the 26-year-old Britten to commemorate Japan’s 2600th imperial anniversary. It’s a relative rarity on disc, and Gardner’s thrusting yet finely detailed account is proof that the work has been underestimated until now. The Lacrymosa writhes with agony and the scampering Dies Irae twitches with angst before descending into the contemplative balm of the Requiem Aeternam.

Originally written for tenor and piano, Winter Words sets eight poems by Thomas Hardy. Robin Holloway’s new orchestrations are colourful and bold, yet always in...