Your impression of Jansons/RCO/RCO M7th?

[John Kim]

Frankly, I consider this Jansons least successful Mahler recording in Amsterdam. I have to agree with Gramophone's lukewarm review on this occasion that writes, "This is not a Mahler!" I much prefer his BRSO account which has far more characters and verve.

What are your takes?

[John Kim]

So, nobody has heard this recording yet??

It's available on Spotify for free listen!

[barryguerrero]

Well yes, I listened to it. I was curious to get your reaction. Like everything with the Concertgebouw, the woodwinds and timpani are excellent. I like the copious amount of deep bells and cowbells at the end of the finale, but I do wish Jansons had stretched the ending a bit more. As for Jansons, I still think his best overall M7 is the one he made with the Oslo Phil. on Simax.

[John Kim]

Barry,

I like the Oslo Phil. CD too but I am very fond of Jansons approach to I. in his BRSO recording. He and BRSO performed it again lately in Munich. Maybe that one is also on its way to CD?

John

[barryguerrero]

Matter of taste, I suppose. For me, he's too much 'all over the map' in the first movement on his Munich M7. I prefer the 'steadier hand' displayed by Jansons in his Oslo Phil. one, which I believe times out to over 23 minutes. I like Boulez in M7/I as well (also over 23 minutes).  I like some of the performances that stretch M7/I out to 25 minutes, such as Segerstam and Tennstedt II.  As I've said before, I like the whole of Mahler 7 treated as one big, gradual accelerando.