Rattle’s farewell M6 with Berlin now available

[Russell]

The Berliner Philharmoniker has released the M6 featured in Simon Rattle’s farewell performance as music director, given in June 2018. It’s out in a nice Blu-Ray/CD package, and it also includes a CD of his Berlin debut performance, also of M6, from 1987:

https://www.berliner-philharmoniker-recordings.com/mahler-6.html?___store=rec_en

There’s also a hi-res download available, but it’s rather pricey from them at $30, whereas it’s much cheaper at eClassical (about $14 for a limited time):

https://www.eclassical.com/mahler-symphony-no-6-2.html

I’m pretty ambivalent about Rattle’s Mahler (and about his conducting in general), but this farewell performance might be pretty special.

[John Kim]

I got the download. I quite like it, think it's one of the best Rattle delivered in Berlin. It puts Rattle CBSO account in dust, particularly for its outstanding Finale in which Rattle takes his time in the final 5 min. to slowly build the climax up to the great collapse. The playing of BPO is phenomenal.

[barryguerrero]

That's good to hear.

[barryguerrero]

Well, I'm tempted to spend the 'big bucks' to get the fancy booklet and blu-ray disc, etc. I wish they didn't give those such a generic looking cover. The scherzo is fabulous - Rattle still does the scherzo better than anyone. I like how he brings the scherzo to a real climax, which he transitions into an anticlimax by way of its slowly paced dissolution.  I would prefer that the scherzo were second, but I'm not going to harp on that here (yes, pun intended).  The brief 'alpine ascent' passage in the slow movement is done superbly (before the 7 minute mark). As you folks know, that passage is always important to me.

In the finale, Rattle dropped the third hammer-stroke, a 'hallmark' of his previous recordings and performances. There's nothing to complain about in the finale - the playing is pretty spectacular. Cowbells are always audible, which I like. I'm tempted!

Yes, a download would be much more practical. As Russell pointed out, it's hardly $15 at E-Classical (which is where I sampled this). Do I really need a fancy picture book and some documentary video that's not focused on Mahler?