A friend burnt me a copy of the BBC Magazine's issue of Mahler 8 with Donald Runnicles leading the BBC Scottish S.O. Perhaps THE most impressive element of this one-off live performance is the excellent singing of the Edinburgh Festival Chorus. I think it might be THE best choral effort I've ever head in Mahler 8! The BBC Scottish play quite well also, and Runnicles conducts a BIG performance: big sound; big organ; big chorus; big gong smashes - perhaps all of this due to Runnicles' extensive and highly successful experience in conducting Wagner. I think it was recorded at a somewhat high level, and that may lend a hand in making this sound like a truly 'big boned' performance.
Tenor Simon O'Neil is quite good, but I don't like him as much the very assured sounding Johan Botha. However, O'Neil is a tinge less forceful and 'manly' sounding than Botha. Thus, he possesses a brighter tone that Botha, and he's a tad more expressive with his phrasing. Still, I'll take Botha's vocal prowess and lack of strain any day (he's simply amazing on the Bertrand de Billy M8).
The endings to both Parts I and II are excellent. Runnicles rushes the end of Part I, but gets much more clarity in the closing series of ascending unison scales (chorus and brass), as well as from the offstage brass, than MTT was able to mine from his rapid tempo. In contrast, the ending to Part II is quite measured, with fully audible organ, offstage brass and on-stage gong smashes. If the sound were better, this might be my favorite overall Mahler 8 of any. BBC Magazine has already given me my personal favorite Mahler 7th of any: G. Noseda/BBC Phil. (Manchester). Now I'm thankful for this newcomer.
Topic: Runnicles/BBC Scottish M8 - another winner from BBC Magazine. (Read 7082 times)