COMPOSERS: Mahler
LABELS: Philips Solo
WORKS: Symphony No. 1
PERFORMER: Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra/Bernard Haitink
CATALOGUE NO: 456 658-2 ADD 1972
Everything in the second of Haitink’s three recordings of Mahler’s first symphony is beautiful – even the double bass and tuba solos of the funeral procession. This time he uses the warm acoustics of Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw to weave misty spells in the first movement – autumn to the brisker spring of the earlier recording (1962) – and while the finale may not be the dramatic last word in dynamic extremes, it’s always clear and well-paced. Only the treble-fierce sound and a hint of tape pre-echo date an otherwise excellent bargain. David Nice
Mahler: Symphony No. 1
Everything in the second of Haitink’s three recordings of Mahler’s first symphony is beautiful – even the double bass and tuba solos of the funeral procession. This time he uses the warm acoustics of Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw to weave misty spells in the first movement – autumn to the brisker spring of the earlier recording (1962) – and while the finale may not be the dramatic last word in dynamic extremes, it’s always clear and well-paced. Only the treble-fierce sound and a hint of tape pre-echo date an otherwise excellent bargain. David Nice
Our rating
4
Published: January 20, 2012 at 2:28 pm