Agreed on both points, though I. Fischer has, on consensus, one of the most well-rounded surveys of the Wunderhorn symphonies of almost anyone. They’re all good, if not great recordings that received nearly unanimous acclaim. That’s it for me though. I can’t do his M5, M7, or M9, and the M6 was too soft for me but finely played. To be frank, I really only care about the fine playing and the engineering. His conducting of Mahler generally doesn’t do it for me. I agree with Thomass: they’re just too mellow. Save the M2, which I find to be outstanding.
I’ve also been on somewhat of a M8 binge the past few months. It’s a shame to me that he won’t do the Eighth because it would probably sound incredible with that orchestra and Channel Classics’ engineering. At least his brother was bold enough to do it, and it’s a refreshing account. Not the M8 we’ve all come to know. As a whole I think Ádám’s cycle is going to go down as one of the greats.
