John,
I took some time tonight to listen to Rattle's M9/1 (first movement) on headphones. Yes, the sound is a bit different. But it's not enough of an improvement to make me like this performance more. In fact, I thought it highlighted its shortcomings even more. The climactic passages had a bit more bite and definition in the lower range, but the softer parts seemed almost inaudible. Strangely enough, it reminded me a bit of the old Abbado/VPO M3 - particulary with the horns always blasting so loud.
I've always had my suspicions that the Abbado/VPO M3 used generous chunks from live takes - possibly of Austrian Radio origin. The American tuba player in the VPO - now deceased - told me that there were a lot of problems in making that particular recording; with Abbado going over many passages in separate takes. Anyway, the extreme dynamics; loud horns; thuddy timpani (more pronounced now); loud tuba (less pronounced now) - all of that reminded me of the Abbado/VPO M3, as well as some of the Maazel/VPO Mahler cycle too. For the life of me, I can't understand why Rattle felt that this was such a great performance. I'd rather hear the 9th played by the BPO anyday. And I'm sure that Rattle's conducting of it has improved in the meantime as well.
