Inbal/TMSO/Exton Mahler Ninth SACD

[John Kim]

Eliahu Inbal's third go at Mahler Ninth (his last completed symphony) features the superbly disciplined Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of which he has been the principal conductor since 2008, and the modern recording technology that will conjure up much awe and kudos from the listeners.

Compared to his two previous outings - with NHK SO and FRSO, respectively, this latest recording is a tad cool in textures but better than ever Inbal molds every phrase with a keen sense of direction and purpose, achieving a crushing climax at the height of the first movement and a state of apotheosis in the great Finale which runs well over 25 min. gaining a full 2 min. over his FRSO version.

My fond memories for Bernstein, Levine, Solti, Tennstedt, Ozawa, and Karajan haven't been erased, but there is no denying this is a great Mahler Ninth meticulously captured and reproduced in the gorgeous, jaw dropping sound by the Japanese engineers.

John

[ChrisH]

Thanks for the review, John.

Another disc to add to the list.

Inbal has really piqued my interest recently. His 5th and 7th with the Czechs are superb. I wish I would have found him sooner.

[virtuoso]

I've listened all the 9 symphonies, best ever. No.10 will be released on Dec 19th