Mahler Symphony No. 6 ~ Tennstedt

Product description London Philharmonic Orchestra - Klaus Tennstedt, direction Review EMI issued two recordings of the Mahler Sixth performed by the London Philharmonic conducted by Klaus Tennstedt. The first was recorded in Abbey Road Studios in 1983 (three months prior to the present recording), the second at a live concert in the Royal Festival Hall in 1991. The first is still available domestically as part of a complete cycle; the second shared a three-disc box with a live Seventh from 1993 and has been deleted. This new release from the LPO's own label was recorded by the BBC at the Royal Festival Hall. Tennstedt shared with Leonard Bernstein an overtly emotional response to Mahler's music; as with Bernstein, this meant that detail was sometimes obscured in deference to the long line and the emotional arc of the symphony; instrumental execution was also occasionally less than stellar. What is undeniable, though, is that Tennstedt was committed heart and soul to music, and to Mahler's music in particular. The 1983 EMI recording is typical of Tennstedt's approach: the first movement march is measured but determined, while the "Alma" theme is impassioned and then warmly expressive. The first theme of the Scherzo is very aggressive; the Trios are naive and ungainly by way of extreme contrast. The Andante is like the sadder, wiser older brother of the Fifth's Adagietto, offering solace but acknowledging the pain of deep hurt that can't be completely forgotten, even in Mahler's beloved mountains. The last movement is truly epic as the heroic struggle between the major and minor modes ultimately culminates in Mahler's bleakest coda. Throughout, Tennstedt wrings every note from this score (the Ratz revision). EMI's sound production--an early digital job--is often crude in its closely miked and tightly focused imaging. The sound seems to broaden out as the Symphony proceeds, and whether this was intentional or not, it can be effective: the first movement sounds almost cramped, while the finale fully exploits all of Mahler's unique orchestration. The sound of this new disc, then, is reason for celebration: there is better instrumental definition and a wider soundstage; the resonance of the hall is stark contrast to the sterility of the studio in the EMI recording (there is a surprising amount of hiss on the new disc, however). The orchestra is more natura