Just won a couple of Mahler CDs on eBay...

[akiralx]

M9/Tokyo Met SO/Bertini SACD - I've been impressed with parts of the EMI box so looking forward to this - I've inferred it's a bit rough and ready but involving, anybody know what I should expect.

M5/Czech PO/Kobayashi pretty cheaply - the CD not SACD, sure the sound will be great anyway.  I love his CzPO M3 so looking forward to this also.

[Leo K]

Congrats!

I have always been amazed by the Bertini TMSO M9...one thing I love about Bertini is that he executes all my favorite passages in a way I always secretly wished, but he does it even more profoundly that I could imagine...he seems to accomplish this everywhere in his EMI box.  In this TMSO M9 the first crescendo near the beginning of the Andante Comodo the rises and rises, sharp and intense with great impact...wow...thats the way I always wanted to hear that passage (Bernstein's BSO M9 comes close).  I particularily like the timpani in the first movement.  In the Scherzo Bertini soars with powerful pastorale winds and rustic landscapes with captivating motion.  The Rondo has great color and contrast like the Inoue M9, its twists and turns are very uplifting and exciting.  The Adagio is on the level of other great accounts...yes, the orchestra can be a little rough, but truly a blessed beatitude occurs in this performance...the ultimate surrender with peace and bliss.

His TMSO M9 is probably his best sounding M9, and his M9 with the Rundfunk Phil. (on EMI) has the best playing, as John will attest.

Enjoy!

[barry guerrero]

Congratulations!   

Barry

[John Kim]

Todd's high claim on the Bertini/TMSO/Fontex M9th is well justified. If the playing of this Japanese orchestra is not up to their challenge, Bertini's reworking of some of the passages and the enthusiasm of the orchestra nicely make up for the deficiency. I am still bothered by bad intonation in horns in I. & II. and insufficient lung power in the brass, but the Finale is really outstanding. Actually, all of Bertini's three recordings with VSO, WDR, and TMSO have great finales.

John,

[akiralx]

I have listened to both, the M5 in the car, where it sounded great (the Adagietto perhaps a mite generalised alongside say Abbado II), but the real star is the Bertini Tokyo MSO M9 - that is quite superb with perhaps the finest recording I have heard on SACD, I listened in stereo only via my Stax earspeaker system. 

Recorded at one live concert, the performance is incredibly powerful with amazing detail and instrumental colour brought out with astonishing clarity, for which I suspect Bertini and the engineers must both take credit.

I have to say I thought the playing was pretty stellar, I only noticed one slight momentary slip in string intonation in the finale, but that is of negligible importance compared to the many felicities and insights in this recording.  The solo oboe and flute play like seraphs throughout, but the whole orchestra's performance is outstanding.

It's probably my favourite M9 now - though the Barenboim and Chailly are of course great (long time since I've listened to the latter SACD).

[nickmolland]

Hi Alex

Glad you're enjoying them (sorry - couldn't resist!)

Nick