Respectable performances and so-so sound
Virginia Opera Fan | Falls Church, VA USA | 10/24/2006
(3 out of 5 stars)
"Haitink's interpretations are thoroughly respectable and well executed by the LSO. I suspect they will wear well over repeated listening. I've listened to the two symphonies presented here in their entirety twice over the last few days. The impression is that of an uneccentric interpretive stance that hasn't changed much since the maestro's Concertgebouw cycle of the symphonies some thirty years ago. It's satisfying enough, but I'm not anxious to rush out and acquire the rest of the cycle.
My comments concerning the technical quality of the recording are based on the multi-channel SACD encoding. The violins' upper register sounds a little glassy in comparison to some other DSD recordings. Not that its offensive, but one of the benefits of SACD technology has been a more natural string tone. I am glad my amplifier has the ability to adjust the channel levels. At the default (0 decibel) settings, I felt like I was sitting in the middle of the orchestra, an effect I find unrealistic. Taking down the rear channels a few decibels provided a more realistic front and center perspective."