nine days away from Haitink/CSO M3 (and counting)

[barry guerrero]

What's the big deal, you ask. Yes, Haitink will be his usual, slightly dull, poker-faced self. But finally, we're going to hear the CSO unload (bad choice of words) at the climactic passage of the slow movement - the big brass chorale - without Levine's sudden speed-up at the cymbal crash, or Solti's usual fast tempi (at the wrong places) and course, ugly sound. This might be the real deal, as the short excerpts at the CSO website sound promissing. We'll see.

[Leo K]

I also await with much anticipation!!

[Jot N. Tittle]

Yes, Haitink will be his usual, slightly dull, poker-faced self.

This porridge is too cold (Haitink). That porridge is too hot (Abbado). Which porridge is just right? I watched Tennstedt lead the CSO in M1 (DVD, 1990 performance) last night. Maybe he was just right. But the orchestra looked about as involved as corpses can be.

     . & '

[Leo K]

But the orchestra looked about as involved as corpses can be.

This is a good thing actually 

[Jot N. Tittle]

For funerals, maybe.

Perhaps it is better not to watch. Should we add orchestras to legislatures and charcuteries as things best not seen? 

    . & '

[Leo K]

I've always preferred not to buy DVD's of performances as there is always some distraction...bad editing is such a turn-off. 

[barry guerrero]

OK, OK; but my point is simply that Haitink's new M3 just might build to a tremendous climax in the last movement - giving the symphony a greater sense of purpose than it sometimes has. For that much, I'll happily sacrifice a bit of visceral excitement earlier on. But, we need to wait and see.

[John Kim]

The Japanese fans gave 85/100 to this new release:

http://www.hmv.co.jp/product/detail/2551159

John,