Jarvi as a conductor can be rather superficial for me. He's generally great with Russian fare, and no so successful in German music. His Brahms cycle was a good indicator. The M6 is ok, but then it's basically a fool proof work: play the notes right, follow the meticulous markings in the score and it works. The M7 isn't so simple and as much as I like quick tempos, in Jarvi's case it just seems glib and uninvolved.
When Jarvi came to our attention some 30 years ago it was mostly because he was recording relatively obscure repertoire and so it was good - we had little or nothing to compare with. Some was really great. But when he ventured into more well-known territory, he was up against very stiff competition. He doe great with Prokofieff in symphonies and operas alike, yet his Tchaikovsky is very uninvolved and cold - symphonie and ballets alike. Then along comes a cd of Fucik - and it's absolutely brilliant.
I've heard him live a few times: a dazzling Beethoven 3, a gut-wrenching Schmidt 4, but most of all a hair-raising, beautiful and thrilling Gliere Ilya Murometz that should have been recorded - would have been the best ever.
At least son Paavo is coming along - he seems to have the makings of a great Mahler conductor.
