Chung/SPO/DG Mahler 5th CD - my first impression

[John Kim]

I am finally giving the Chung/SPO/DG M5th CD a spin on my equipment. It's a stunning recording technically and Chung's reading hits all the marks.

The trumpet and horn are about the best I ever heard, while SPO strings are marvelous throughout. This is an incredibly well phrased, wonderfully nuanced reading.

The Adagietto is given a heartfelt, incredibly warm reading with the rich SPO string in its top form.

Technically, the amount of details captured in this recording is really impressive and might have set a new record; you hear half a dozen different string instruments playing notes that are ever so slightly differentiated from each other, low brass roaring or tam tam smashing in massive tutti passages, above all in the celebrated Adagietto where the richly nuanced strings do themselves proud. All these little but utterly important details are inaudible in most of other versions I know. In other words, Michael Fine's recording job is the best I've heard from him.

My Kudos!

[ChrisH]

It's not surprising that the trumpet playing is excellent. Alexandre Baty is the principle, he's leaving the SPO for the RCO later this year. He's got the goods.

I think I will grab this in the near future.

[barry guerrero]

Along with numerous 'burn jobs' of various live performances, I have the Honeck/Pittsburgh (Exton); Karajan/DG and Ben. Zander/Telarc M5 recordings. That's enough. I like the Ben. Zander one because the soft percussion in the first movement is actually audible, for once.

M5 is also one of the better ones from Tilson-Thomas.

[John Kim]

I will tell you, from the purely technical perspective alone this Chung/SPO/DG M5th CD sounds like a well engineered SACD. It's that good.^

[barry guerrero]

John, I'm sure it's quite good. I believe you.

[Russell]

Thanks, John.  I see this is now available as a hi-res download (at "only" 44.1/24, but still better than CD) via ProStudioMasters:

http://www.prostudiomasters.com/album/page/5677

I will have to give this a try!

Russell

[ChrisH]

This is the third Mahler 5 I've picked up in the last year or so. It started with Inbal and the Czechs, then on to Chailly and Leipzig, and ending with this SPO recording. All of these are top notch.

This recording is very, very good; especially through the first three movements. They are spot on for me. Dark enough, moody enough, with a high level of playing. Chung handles the shifting from dark to light 2/3rds of the way through the 2nd movement really well. His handling of the waltz sections in the scherzo his a really nice swing to it. The adagio, for me, kind of broke the mood after the first three movements. It was too dark for me. I can understand how you'd like to wallow in the gorgeous string tone. Chung makes up for it in the finale, which tops off a really enjoyable performance for me. There is applause at the end.

I was really impressed with Chung and the SPO; this was my first outing with either of them. The SPO is seriously world class and has a great overall sound quality. I imagine I will try out some of their other releases; especially if Mr. Fine is invovled. He did a very good job with this recording.

One last thing, what ever triangle they use, please get another one. After the initial strike, there are some really odd harmonics; also it was very close mic'd.