Alright, while you guys jump up and down about how wonderful the Rattle 9th is, I just got done listening to Macal's first movement of M9. As you know, I just can't devour the 9th as rapidly or successively as I can with most of the other Mahler symphonies. I think that this Macal one has more "personality" - for a lack of a better term.
It belongs in the "episodic" school of first movements; meaning that faster parts are up to tempo, while the slower parts are clearly slower. But I like how Macal emphasizes all of the little fanfare figures in the trumpets throughout - some of which I've never noticed before. I also appreciate that he uses the ubiquitous rolling rack of tubular chimes for the bell part - you can actually hear the darn things! (unlike Rattle, where those stupid, dark sounding bell plates barely register). Let me clarify: I hate tubular chimes for the end of M2, because they sound like holy doorbells when struck hard. But for softer parts, they cut through.
I also like how Macal makes the main climax of the first movement sound less one dimensional than usual, by making sure that the dissonant low note in the horns is clearly heard throughout those bars. You hear the gong; you hear the low brass (trombones/tuba); you hear the low horns; you hear the soft gong notes afterwards, and you hear the chimes a few bars later - nothing's missing, for once!!!
I'm listening to Macal's second movement now. Similar to Sinopoli/Dresden, he takes the initial laendler rather swiftly (it's a long passage), but then is markedly slower for the first waltz episode. But unlike Sinopoli, I notice that Macal is much quicker with those autumnal sounding, time-biding, linking passages: the ones that are neither laendler or waltz. I'm at the third waltz passage now, which Macal certainly could have whipped up a bit more for my liking. But in the transition back to the final Laendler (played quickly), I like how he brought out the growling tuba. The quicker tempo for this movement's ending, certainly makes one notice the bassoon soli more than usual (dancing puppets on strings).
So far, this strikes me as a recorded performance that's short on angst, or lending a feeling of decadence. Instead, it's tall on making a musical argument for what's written on the page, and there's plenty to be said for doing just that.
Topic: B.G. thoughts on Macal M9/I & II (Read 3686 times)