Search - Mahler, Bernard Haitink, Chicago Symphony Orchestra :: Mahler: Symphony No. 6 [Hybrid SACD]

A Qualified Bravo!

Christopher OBrien | Chicago, IL United States | 04/15/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This CSO Resound label sure knows how to capture its orchestra live in concert. The orchestral balances within this performance are amazing. I am hearing details of the score that have been to some extent buried within the mix on other recordings...some of which I love dearly. I believe the phrase is transparency. Anyway, the sound and execution of the playing is magnificent. The reading of the score is another matter and I believe that this reading will be unfairly maligned because while it does not pack the immediate punch of a Levi, Bernstein, or Tennstedt (especially his recently released live recording from London, it does have merit. I found myself initially getting impatient but as I sat with the recording longer I found that I became more and more wrapped up in the emotional arc of Haitink's reading. At face value it may seem dull but that is deceiving because it does work very well on its own terms and I becoming rather fond of the reading as a result. Mahler is about long paragraphs and Haitink practices what Mahler preaches...he takes his time a let's the score slowly unfurl. It may not be immediate gratification, but sometimes things of worth need to grow on you."

One for the Ages: The Best Mahler 6th Symphony Recording I'v

John Kwok | New York, NY USA | 06/16/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"One for the ages is exactly how I feel about this glorious Mahler 6th Symphony recording on the Chicago Symphony Orchestra's new CSO-Resound Chicago Symphony Orchestra Live label. LSO Live label producer James Mallinson and his recording team have produced one of the best Mahler symphony recordings in recent years, emphasizing the spectacular musicianship of not only the Chicago Symphony itself, but also, of its principal conductor, eminent Mahler interpreter Bernard Haitink. Haitink's latest Mahler 6th symphony recording is vibrant, and relentless in its passion and technical brilliance. While Haitink adheres faithfully to Mahler's score, he does so without forsaking its rich sonic architecture, or its ample expressiveness in what many refer to as Mahler's "tragic" symphony. Indeed there is a strong undercurrent of tragedy which pervades every note, from the opening military march in the first movement to one last loud chord at the very end of the Finale, which is almost chilling in its finality. Haitink also emphasizes the artistic links between Mahler and Shostakovich, especially in the brisk inner movements and the expansive, but still swift, Finale; this may be the only recording of the Mahler 6th Symphony in which I can hear obvious parallels between it and much of Shostakovich's symphonic oeuvre, especially the 4th, 5th and 7th symphonies (Though this ought not to surprise long-time admirers of Haitink, since he is almost as celebrated for his interpretations of Shostakovich's symphonies, as he is for Mahler's.). Having heard the best live performance of Mahler's 1st symphony I've heard, recently at Carnegie Hall with Haitink conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, I knew I was in for a treat with this recording. Happily, it doesn't disappoint, with rich intonation from the winds, brass and strings. Mallinson's recording mikes have rendered a truly three-dimensional sonic quality to this recording which is on par with his Beethoven recordings with Haitink conducting the London Symphony, it is as though you are sitting within the orchestra itself, hearing them perform. While the SACD version of this recording is rather expensive, it is definitely well worth its price, and should be a highly sought after acquisition for fans of Mahler, Haitink and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

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Powerful!

Dave | Hoffman Estates, IL USA | 04/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This latest in the series of great new releases from the CSO Resound label features Haitink and the Chicago Symphony in a powerfully restrained performance of Mahler 6. The keys to the success of this interpretation lie in the decision of the conductor to let the music stand on its own without imposing arbitrary stylistic tweaks, and also the musicians' careful attention to the score's details. This results in terrific transparency, since the dynamic balance across sections is close to ideal, and musical lines and orchestral colors previously unnoticed are allowed to be heard, particularly in some of the otherworldly woodwind writing and the eeriness of percussion effects that Mahler evoked.



It goes without saying that the CSO sounds brilliant technically and fully-committed to delivering the highest degree of eloquence in Mahler's music. I think this SACD also features sonics that are as clear and impactful as can be expected from a concert recorded live in the congested acoustic of Chicago's Orchestra Hall.



Over the course of the four movements, Mr. Haitink's pacing leads to the sense of inevitability at the conclusion that Mahler likely was striving for. The natural austerity of the textures and deflated sadness at the end of the finale are fully realized by Haitink's reluctance to interject his own emotion onto the piece in favor of letting the music speak for itself."