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I'm planning on burning a single disc, 'dream' Mahler 6. Because I want it on a single disc with time to spare, I'm planning on using Barbirolli for the first movement (slow tempo with no expo. repeat). For the two inner movements, I want to use Vanska/Minnesota (BIS), but in scherzo/andante order. I like the exquisite detail of that recording for those two (Vanska's 'alpine' passage in the slow movement is to die for!). For the finale, I'm thinking Boulez/Vienna Phil.
I know that Boulez/VPO doesn't have a strong hammer stroke (the second one is reinforced with cymbals and tam-tam), but I don't want a real loud hammer stroke. We all KNOW what a loud hammer stroke sounds like! In contrast to that, I'm also thinking of using Zinman/Baltimore S.O., where Zinman employed some kind of electronic explosion for the two hammer strokes. It's very cool and absurd. Anyway, I'm more concerned about the 'false victory parade' passage, just before the funereal dirge procession in the low brass. I don't want any 33 or 34 minute finales, so that eliminates a good number of them. I like it from 29 to 31 minutes. I'm also thinking of Simone Young/Hamburg, who uses a few more bars of Mahler's first version after the third hammer stroke. That's a very cool effect as well.
I welcome your input. Remember, I want this to be well less than 80 minutes (single disc). I don't like fast first movements, or slow finales.
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