Search - Mahler, Haenchen, Netherlands Philharmonic Orch :: Symphony 6 "Tragic"

Haenchen's a 5-Star Conductor With A 3-Star Recording

06/27/1999

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Even after listening to Karajan, Bernstein, and Barbirolli, I still find Haenchen's conducting of Mahler's 6th to be truly insightful and more than an artistic match for the over-priced major label versions. Haenchen knows how to mine the poetry from this symphony of death with a 1st mvmt that isn't off to the races like so many others; a 2nd mvmt which doesn't lose it's pulse; a fragile 3rd mvnt taken at a slower-than-usual pace, yielding even greater pathos; and a 4th mvmt of roaring drama. This a performance of controlled passion and persuasive intellect. Unfortunately, the DDD recording is not first-class (it's at a distance, a bit unfocussed, and has a limited high-end), but it is a serviceable document, more than good enough to grasp Haenchen's stunning vision of Mahler. At this price, there's no reason not to snap it up. (By the way Haenchen's Laserlight CD of Bruckner's 4th is also a world-class performance.)"

Wow

Gregory M. Zinkl | Chicago, IL | 11/26/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm not an afficianado of Mahler 6th, but I do love the Mahler that I know well (1, 2, 5, and to some extent, 4, 7, 10). This recording, however, made me fall in love with 6 immediately. There's a lot that is diabolic, sweeping, and overwhelming, although I'm not so sure about how well-recorded the hammer blows are. The playing of the Netherlands Phil is first rate, and they are recorded in the Concertgebouw. While not the clearest digital recording I've ever heard, it avoids a lot of the DDD pitfalls, and some details, especially in the finale, are very well brought out. At the price, you surely can't get much better performance, or for that matter, at any price. All this leads me to conclude that Haenchen is an unsung excellent conductor. I've now heard a lot of his Haydn and some of his Mozart (w/ CPE Bach CO on Berlin), his Strauss and now his Mahler, and have never been less than greatly impressed. Maybe LaserLight will do the right thing and record just about everything the man conducts!"

Exceeding Expectations

John Jobeless | Corte Madera, CA USA | 05/02/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Visiting Amsterdam for just a few days last Fall, I was delighted to learn that Mahler's 8th was being performed in the Concertgebouw. I was somewhat deflated when I realized it was under the aegis of Hartmut Haenchen with the Netherlands Philharmonic, but the 8th was the only Mahler symphony I'd never heard live, so I wasn't about to miss it. We got 2 of the last 3 tickets when the box office opened; of course the seats were just about the worst possible, directly below the string basses. Not to worry, since in my experience there are no bad seats (acoustically speaking) in that wonderful old hall. We were rewarded with a magnificent performance! We were told this completed Maestro Haenchen's Mahler cycle for Radio Nederland. Ever since, I've been seeking out the others and have found several, including the 6th, and I can highly recommend them all. Granted, the recordings are not state-of-the-art technically speaking, but the dark, rich sound of the Concertgebouw itself shines through for me. I don't even know if the remaining symphonies have ever appeared on CD, but I'm still looking."