I think it worth noting the retirement this month at 90 of Bernard Haitink, whose 65 year career presented Mahler in concerts and recording for a span of time seldom if ever equaled. His dedication to Mahler since the 1960s is certainly notable and has had its enduring influence on our understanding. He is known for being a musician's conductor, and many orchestra members speak fondly of making music with him.
His first M9 with the Concertgebouw was praised by Deryck Cooke in 1970 as the finest version up to that time in his experience.
I have often felt that his sense of the structural integrity of the symphonies was of greatest importance. I first had this thought after a performance of M5 with the LPO in London in February 1983 where the chorale of the second movement returned at the end of the last movement with a sense of the underlying integrity of the work. This may be common experience of others, but hearing it live and recognizing it through the Haitink performance was very important to me. I heard him live in M1 and M9 twice also as well as in many other programs.
We all have our experiences and preferences, but I think it worthwhile to acknowledge the historical and musical importance of Haitink and his music making.
