Her disquiet was complemented by the poised baritone Alexander Gergalov as Yeletsky.Gegam Grigorian, a once impressive Hermann, as is evident in his recording of the role, was forced by his now limited vocal range to fall back on his understanding of his character’s haunted emotions.The BBC Philharmonic, on heroic form, conveyed every detail of Tchaikovsky’s orchestration with sumptuous brass choir, passionate string tone, and woodwind that was both blood-curdling at the start of the apparition scene, and eloquent as the gambling gets under way. Assured in his shaping of melodic line, in generating musical adrenalin, and in spotlighting the dramatic knots of each scene, he created the perfect background against which the soloistsheld the spellbound audience from start to finish.In the old Countess (the authoritative Irina Bogacheva) and the young heroine Liza (Olga Sergeeva), the Kirov fielded outstanding performers. But with a cast of principals from the Kirov, the Italian conductor Gianandrea Noseda and an orchestra at its most responsive, it was a gamble that paid off in spades, both in the concert hall and, I dare say, for listeners to the live broadcast on Radio 3.The spectacle and dynamism were entirely focused on the score, in its switches from darkness to light and in its glimpses of layers of guilt, deception and self-doubt lurking ominously beneath the music’s surface. The format peaked with the sale of 22 million units in 1995, 32 per cent of single sales. The singles market is still in trouble, with CD singles sales down 29 per cent year on year.Total music sales in the UK were down 4.3 per cent on the previous quarter, but 3 per cent up on the 12-month period, largely due to music DVDs.TOP 10 SEVEN-INCH SINGLES1Take Me Out, Franz Ferdinand2Love is Only a Feeling, The Darkness3Freakin’ Out, Graham Coxon4Reptilia, Strokes5Run, Snow Patrol6I Miss You, Blink 1827Somewhere Only We Know, Keane8Pressure Point, Zutons9The Funeral of Hearts, Him10Megalomaniac, Incubus.

Record companies once chose to release a CD, a vinyl record and a cassette. The vinyl was dropped in favour of a second CD with added mixes.The return of vinyl has been driven by the demise of the cassette single, which last quarter failed for the first time to register sales in official BPI figures. Sean Forbes, of roughtrade , said: “There’s definitely a cool factor with the seven-inch although the more the major labels use it the more that will ebb away.”Reggae singles are still largely sold as seven-inch vinyl, although many of the UK sales through specialist shops do not appear in official BPI figures.Under chart rules, singles can be released in three formats. Sales of seven-inch platters have shot up by more than 57 per cent in the past year and record companies are repackaging the format to a new generation of rock fans.At the vanguard of the revival are bands such as Franz Ferdinand, the Strokes and Snow Patrol. Graham Coxon, guitarist with Blur, released his single “Freakin’ Out” solely on vinyl.Seven-inch single sales rose by 48 per cent last quarter to a value of £204,000, their highest level for five years.

Music industry experts attributed the trend to clever marketing by record companies and vinyl’s credibility among fans of bands heavily influenced by the music of the Sixties and Seventies.Gennaro Castaldo, spokes-man for HMV Stores, said: “The White Stripes and the Strokes make it plain they are highly influenced by the Velvet Underground and the Rolling Stones. It conveys legitimacy not only on the bands that went before but on the older formats.” He said there were two groups of vinyl record buyers. “They appeal to the older ‘50-quid blokes’ who have an emotional attachment to vinyl. Younger rock fans regard it as cool and slightly counter culture.”Because of the drop in demand for vinyl, EMI closed its east London pressing plant It has since reopened. The Beggars Banquet record label has set up a subsidiary label called Rex, which releases only vinyl.Other independent labels, including Rough Trade records, have been quick to see the new appeal of seven-inch vinyl and have released singles by the Strokes, the Delays and Belle and Sebastian. You may have thought the seven-inch single was a relic of a bygone age, a heavy slice of black plastic to give voice to the cute Dansette record player or the pub jukebox you salvaged from a vintage furniture shop.
But an extraordinary set of figures from the British Phonographic Industry show the vinyl single is staging a comeback. Anybody who might attempt to claim that they are added to appeal to youth are barking mad because cigarettes taste like cigarettes.”The spokesman admitted that food additives such as cocoa butter and liquorice were already used in some brands, including Lucky Strike, to add a subtle flavour.