Last week I heard M6 with the CSO led by Jaap van Zweden. In its way it was an excellent performance, but it seemed to alternate between two volume levels, too loud and way too loud. Orchestra Hall presents challenges; it’s too small for such a large orchestra, and the acoustic reflector flattens dynamics while acting as a huge microphone. It scrambles perspective, too. At times I wondered if all eight horns were sitting next to me. String tone is almost nonexistent, at least in the upper balcony.
Previously I’ve heard M6 in Orchestra Hall with Gielen, Slatkin, and Haitink, and all seemed to scale the orchestra to the hall more effectively.
As for the (two) hammerblows, both nearly sent me flying out to Michigan Avenue. To me, Mahler’s instructions--”short, dull, powerful, non-metallic, like the stroke of an axe”--suggest that on the spectrum from sharp crack to dull thud, something closer to the latter, living mostly in the bass range, would meet his wishes. In this performance the CSO used a large wooden box, very much of the sharp crack persuasion. If covered with a blanket or carpet, it might have been about right.
In my post-concert perusal of some unfamiliar performances, Gilbert/NYPhil earns an honorable mention for transparency and detail, especially in the woodwinds. His “Alma” theme could use more lilt, and his hammer sounds like a pulp novel dropped on a tray table purchased at Target. Simone Young/Hamburg is really an fine recording, the program notes making a strong case for A-S order. I’ve tended to prefer S-A not from conviction but from habit.
The recording that most impressed me, so much so that I’m not currently in the mood to listen to any others, is Paavo Järvi/NHK. It’s a committed performance that never puts a foot wrong, features top-level orchestral execution, and is presented in a transparent recording that reveals much detail. Even the hammer is, to my ears, idiomatic.
