Here's the revised version. The changes are mostly in the later paragraphs.
. . and that exception is the cast of soloists employed, but more on that topic later. That said, this is now my personal favorite among Mahler 8 recordings, as it simply captures the larger-than-life moments in all their technicolor glory, while also mining sufficient clarity out of the more "chamber music" like moments as well (such as the hushed choral writing before Doktor Ecastaticus' big solo in Part II, or the gentle yet colorful accompaniment behind the three penitent women, some 30 minutes down the line). In other words, it's simply more like hearing the piece in a good live performance (and the organ IS permitted to roar at Mahler's fortissimo marking, imagine that!). Yet, I wouldn't recommend this new one to anybody who's sensitive about the cast of soloists.
Tenor Anthony Dean Griffey is hardly more successful here than he was on the recent Tilson Thomas/San Francisco S.O. recording of the work. For me, he's the one big downfall amongst this cast. That said, he does improve during the crucial "blicket auf" passage; the second of the tenor's two big solos in Part II. But he's also no match for Solti's Rene Kollo, Johan Botha (Boulez/DG), Ben Heppner (C.Davis and Chailly); or, best of all, Richard Leech (Maazel/Sony). Even Jon Villars on the Simon Rattle Mahler 8 is better in the long run.
In Part II, baritone Stephen Powell does a very solid job on Pater Ecstaticus' big solo, but the bass-baritone solo that immediately follows (Pater Profundis) isn't sung nearly as well. Alfred Muff, like MTT's James Morris, barks, wobbles, and nearly goes flat on his top notes. Yet, he does give a valiant, Wagnerian effort. It's just that the difference is immediately noticeable.
By and large, the women are fairly good. Both Yvonne Naef and Birgit Remmart are true contraltos, so they sound a bit "big" during the passage for the three penitent women. In Part I, it sounds as though Zinman has placed his soloists farther back than in Part II. Moving them forward makes sense for the opening, "Wagnerian" solos in Part II, but I do wish those penitent women had been placed farther back in this case; the accompaniment behind them is just so light and chamber-like.
Soprano Juliane Banse is a bit aggressive in her various, "Una Poenitentium" solos in Part II. But she also just nails her one big solo, right after the three penitent women have finished giving their input (it's located immediately before the brief, mini-solo for offstage soprano). Here, U.P. pretty much demands to be Faust's "teacher", as he's being blinded by the light of a "new" day (it's Goethe!). Banse launches the word "neue" (new) at a full fortissimo, then pulls back beautifully for the final word,"tag" (day). After that, Lisa Larsson lacks a certain ethereal quality in that offstage solo. Too much is often made of this solo in many reviews, as it's actually quite short in duration. However, it is one brief moment that's truly better on the Tilson Thomas Mahler 8 (great mandolin, too - if that matters).
Well, there you have it - that's the worst of it. But the rest is terrific. Part I is a knock-out through and through, and the end of Part II has to be heard to be believed.
Like Tilson-Thomas and Simon Rattle, Zinman does make a big accelerando in the final measures of Part I (Mahler tempers that accelerando with the word, "somewhat"). But as in Gerard Schwartz's recent and excellent effort from Seattle, you can hear ALL of the offstage brass parts as well. That may seem like a petty point, but it actually makes a big difference. In Part II, Zinman is a bit relaxed at times, but he does conjure sufficient intensity out of the two big orchestral outbursts that happen before the baritone solo. He also never loses sight of his main prize, which is the very end of symphony. I would describe his approach as relaxed (not slow) yet focused. As if that weren't enough, the finish to the "blicket auf" passage doesn't sound like an anti-climax for once. In other words, Zinman nails ALL of the big moments throughout this performance. It's also a really good sounding pipe organ that they have in the Zurich Tonhalle, just in case that matters to you (it does to me!)
Those who are collecting Zinman's mostly fine cycle, along with those who are just plain curious, can purchase this new Mahler 8 with confidence. For those of whom where the cast of soloists is an important issue in this work, I'd suggest sticking to Solti; Kubelik (best singing of all!); Sinopoli (great women); Maazel (very slow tempi, though); Chailly; Rattle; or Boulez. Bernstein's 1975 Mahler 8 from Vienna - captured on video by Untitel, and transferred to dvd by DG - isn't to be missed either. For such a huge, "feel good" work - the Beethoven's 9th of the Art Nouveau era - we've been remarkably lucky!
