SHOSTAKOVICH: Symphony No. 7, “Leningrad,” St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Yuri Temirkanov, conductor. RCA Victor Red Seal 09026-62548-2.

Not seeing is believing. On compact disc, without the flamboyant, impish visual presence of Yuri Temirkanov to distract, the listener may be better able to focus on this conductor’s probing and vital musicianship. It certainly is impressive here: Temirkanov offers a remarkably detailed and faithful interpretation of this gargantuan score, one that limits the sprawl and avoids generalization--small things count.

Among the many pleasures is Temirkanov’s consistent attention to articulation and accent, creating phrases that curve, feint, lean and bounce; he uses the music as a singer does words. Then, of course, there is this orchestra. The pungent woodwinds turn those long, lonely solos on bleak backdrops into hypnotic poetry. The vibrant, edgy brass produce sounds almost human in their urgency. And the strings, anchored by formidable double basses, with violins set left and right, play with such unity and expression that a single mind, bow and set of fingers seem behind them.

The recording, made in the large Shostakovich Philharmonic Hall in St. Petersburg, though occasionally thick, captures the orchestra and performance vividly.