Paavo Jarvi, music director of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, continues to work his magic in his second album with the CSO, an all-Nordic disc, in stores Tuesday.

        Estonian composer Eduard Tubin, whose dark undercurrents evoke both Russia and Scandinavia, is an ideal soul mate to the Finnish symphonist Sibelius. Mr. Jarvi, who recorded the album last December in Music Hall, superbly captures the Nordic spirit that pervades both works.

        This may be the first recording by a major American orchestra of Tubin, a master symphonist — although relatively unknown in this country. It's not surprising that the Estonian-born Mr. Jarvi should be a persuasive champion. Tubin was a close friend of the Jarvi conducting clan; Mr. Jarvi's father, Neeme Jarvi, has recorded his 10 symphonies.

        Tubin (1905-1982) wrote his Fifth Symphony in 1946 after escaping to Sweden from Estonia, just ahead of Soviet tanks rolling into Tallinn. His music has the brooding quality of other Soviet-era composers such as Shostakovich, but stands out in particular for its spectacular writing for percussion and brass.

        The first movement has a relentless nervous energy that builds to explosive drumming on two sets of timpani. Although Tubin rarely quotes folk melodies, the second movement uses two, including an old Estonian chorale. Here, the music seems tinged with nostalgia, yet Mr. Jarvi never abandons the thread of drama.

        The finale echoes some of the sardonic quality of Prokofiev, with visceral surges of power in the brass. A dreamlike interlude is phrased in one long arc; the ethereal mood continues with distant fanfares and a final passage of pulse-quickening drumming.

        Mr. Jarvi leads with momentum and the orchestra rises to the occasion with majestic brass, glistening strings and stunning percussion.

        No doubt, Mr. Jarvi's interpretation on this disc of Sibelius' Second won't be the last word from him: At 39, he's young by career standards. But he is already a master at painting the Nordic landscape. He leads with all the richness and grandeur that Sibelius demands, but projects a natural warmth and spontaneity that makes his reading strikingly individual.

        From the opening murmurs, there unfolds an aura of mystery and power. Mr. Jarvi vividly illuminates details, from the depths of the basses to the wind motifs that sparkle like sun on a cold northern lake.

        It's all expertly paced. The second movement is beautifully atmospheric, enhanced by a warmly phrased trumpet theme (Philip Collins). The scherzo, with the serene trio at its center, is both breathtaking and bracing.

        Mr. Jarvi's buildup to the finale is simply glorious. He controls the full power of the brass, so that it emerges polished and, ultimately, thrilling. It is music making at its most inspired, and the musicians play with true virtuosity.

        It would be hard to recapture the sheer thrill of hearing the live performance, but Telarc's high-definition sound comes close to recreating the Music Hall sound. (Cincinnati is one of two American orchestras still holding a recording contract; the other is the Atlanta Symphony, also with Telarc.)

        As for the new “Cincinnati sound,” one gets the feeling we are only beginning to realize Mr. Jarvi's musical gifts.

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