Philharmonia Orchestra / Benjamin Zander (Telarc)
This isn't going to be quite as 'in depth' as the Nanut run-down above mainly because this one does so much more right!
As the symphony opens, you can almost see Mahler appear from the mists that contain all the music that happened before him; a magical, mysterious, intense opening with toots and parps from the winds just as they should be and with the sun coming out (the 'sunshine breakfast' bit) with just the right intensity. The later quiet section with quietly thudding bass drum is so scary that it almost makes you wonder if Mahler knew what was going to happen in the future - I don't know why but something there reminded me of the irregular thudding beat in the opening of the 9th...As the movement develops to it's climax, the horn whoops make you cheer and the whole thing winds up with a ton of energy.
The second movement is just the right tempo for me. It has the power when it needs, but overall feels fresh and almost delicate at times. As, oddly, does the third. The 'frere jaques' isn't too slow (well I don't think it is), and the gipsy dance section has a lightness about it that isn't nearly as 'vulgar' as some performances I have heard.
The 4th opens with fff muted brass that sounds like a squealing pig and immediately we're in frantic, new, scary territory. The brass is powerful and the strings double-time backing is well balanced while the bass drum is huge! (would sound great in a childs Vauxhall Nova!!!). When all this dies down, the romantic feel isn't too slow or slushy, but to-the-point and when it dies away it really does go quiet. That's one thing to watch with this otherwise very fine recording, the dynamic range is vast - I had to alter the volume control a few times so as to hear the quiet bits but not blow the walls down during the loud bits! I would also have preferred a better tam-tam too - come on it only gets 2 big hits in this symphony and it's at a key point!
When the big theme comes in for it's first show, there's plenty of floor rumbling from the bass drum, fine horns and trumpet that isn't too intrusive. This too dies away and brings us back to sounds from the symphony's opening during which I was very impressed with the flute and piccolo interplay. Some of this quiet section is slower than I have been used to, and I rather like it. It doesn't drag, but it enables the music to 'sing'.
A tad too much hesitation maybe justbefore the 'big theme' returns, but when it does it's great! And then (oh dear) the very end is just too slow. Damn!! Other than this, I like the preformance. The recording is top-notch and the bonus is a terrific discussion by Zander of M1 (and the Songs of the Wayfarer filler) on a 79 minute 2nd disc.
