2人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2016/10/28

Easily the BEST classical recording of 2016 thus far, the conductor Thomas Dausgaard and the high spirited Seattle Symphony Orchestra deliver Gustav Mahler’s unfinished Tenth Symphony (completed by the British scholar Deryck Cooke based on composer’s remaining sketches) like no other team has done before. Under Dausgaard’s leadership, the work manages to come across as ’complete’ and ’authoritative’; you only need to sample a part or two in the first Scherzo (II.) to see what I mean. In particular, the second Scherzo (IV.) emerges as one of the strongest and texturally richest compositions by the composer, while the Finale which is hard to bring off thanks to its sprawling structure and thin orchestration comes off utterly cogent and searingly powerful. To be sure, the Seattle Symphony Orchestra plays like men possessed and there is a kind of new standard set by these remarkable musicians in terms of polish, refinement, and poise.

The complete Mahler Tenth has never sounded so full, so rich, so complete in its textural qualities and timbre and I can finally give my fullest appreciation for what Cooke had done to the remarkable score Mahler left before his untimely death. To say M10 is no match for M9 or even Das Lied von Der Erde is a vast understatement; on the contrary, it is an equal or a greater achievement in the 20th century musical heritage.

This recording is a major event of 2016.

1人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2016/01/19

A phenomenal new Mahler Fourth from Tokyo, not surprisingly.

What a revelatory performance!

Eliahu Inbal and his Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony deliver Mahler’s most relaxed and supposedly ’happy’ symphony like no other team.
Inbal is in a swift mood, faster than he was in his earlier outing with FRSO (Denon), but nothing is glossed over. In fact, he uses the fast speeds to reveal many subtle details even more tellingly than before; the strings are constantly encouraged to execute portamento literally without hesitations, with all the big hearts and delicious touches. He also applies flexible tempi throughout letting the instruments find room to be expressive, colorful, and idiomatic. In this regard, I was reminded of Mengelberg, Bernstein, and Tennstedt. In the Finale, the soprano Maki Mori displays a deep understanding and sympathy with her part although her vibrato in the mid range might be distracting to some. The final notes, appropriately slowed down from the main tempo, fade away as touchingly as I can imagine they could.

The well disciplined Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra is in its best form radiating its characteristically glowing and galvanized tone. Heard blindly, you would guess it’s Vienna Philharmonic or Bavarian Radio Orchestra that you are listening to.

The Exton sonics, as usual, are gorgeously detailed.

I rather suspect I will return to Inbal’s recording most often when I feel for dreaming angels and heavens. Without a doubt, this is one of the finest modern recordings of Mahler Fourth.

0人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2015/10/25

(This review is only for Okko Kamu’s recording of the Third Symphony)

Okko Kamu’s Helsinki account of Jean Sibelius’ often neglected but no less than magnificent Third Symphony may be the best recording you can ever find.

Indeed, Kamu takes a full measure of this wonderful (nicknamed ’Pastoral’) score tackling every measure with utter seriousness and care, total focus. The result is a wholly idiomatic performance with lots of shimmering qualities that might have pleased even Karajan who for some reasons never got around to conduct the piece.

Next to the Kamu, Simon Rattle’s recent version from Berlin sounds indifferent, stiff, and curiously uninspired.

You just can’t go wrong with Kamu’s way with Sibelius. This is a Sibelius Third played like a great symphony that it is.

3人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2015/02/03

A confession： Mahler Ninth is a centerpiece that has constantly taken my heart and soul like no other music, and as such I can’t normally review recordings and concerts of the symphony without consuming much of my energy, without much thought and preparation. Japanese seem to love it to death ... Mahler Ninth appears in almost every orchestra’s program and there are multiple recordings by the domestic conductors/orchestra for sale currently. I can reason why the symphony is so popular in that country - it’s the second greatest piece of the 20th century according to some Japanese music critics’ polls. As for me, I’ve become nearly immune to ’the emotional punch’ (some may call it a disease) it’s supposed to carry and love the modern, albeit revolutionary, sound world of the music. Still, I could be easily worn out talking about the music, let alone reviewing particular recordings or concerts. So, I will try to keep my view of last Friday’s concert of Mahler Ninth Symphony at Seoul Arts Center, Republic of Korea, simple and straight.

Chung’s M9th was sensible, well balanced, emotionally fully charged, and above all musically well shaped. The great first movement was a case in point. The opening measures taken at a tempo much slower than normal, unfolded with all the necessary gravitas and a sense of hesitation, an interpretive point that might seem out of place at first but would prove to make sense as the movement proceeds. When it came to great climaxes (there are three, not four as some might claim, in this movement), Chung didn’t usher all his angst and power at once. Rather, he wisely and efficiently let the music speak for itself, let them come out as naturally as one can imagine; at the height of the first climax that culminates with a trumpet fanfare he asked the timpani roll away ever so smoothly making it merge seamlessly into the following passage. In fact, the timpani, always crisp but authoritative and powerful, was outstanding throughout the performance. So were the trumpet and horn solos who not a single time put their feet wrongly. Much of he same could be said of the SPO percussion including tam tam, bass drum, bells, and cymbal. Those who know the music inside out probably know what I mean; Mahler Ninth would be nothing if it were not for these instruments. The point is, in such a profound and subtle work as Mahler Ninth, every detail and instruction counts. Every instrument, however small its role may appear in the score, counts. The British conductor Ben Zander makes exactly this point in his lecture, ”As much a collective effort it requires from the orchestra, Mahler Ninth asks for individual players who can play as if the piece was written for their instruments alone.”

The two middle movements were surprisingly feet fleet, full of wicked humor and lively, inventive touches. For instance, at the start of II. SPO strings attacked each note with a full, sustained bowing, instead of giving it a staccato-like treatment as usual. Again, the timpani and horn got everything right including the tricky cross rhythm in the coda. But the most shocking of the performance came in the Rondo Burleske. That SPO could follow the conductor’s myriad, demanding instructions in every peak and valley of the score at such a breakneck speed was akin to a miracle. Well, these are technical things, but how about musical elements? Were they delivered as Mahler intended? Was the inevitable connection all the way back to the opening movement there? No matter how clumsy and crazy they may sound amid the whirlwind of dances and mockery? Melancholy, bitterness, poignancy, …. were they all there? Yes, unmistakably!

The great Adagio began with an unusually hefty volume in the strings sound, sending a signal that it might be the only and last time we’ll hear them so rich and confident but never again for the rest of the movement. As I expected, Chung masterfully and gradually turned down the volume as the movement went on, culminating in one of the most hushed codas attached to the Finale I could ever recall. Alas, after the last note faded away Chung didn’t observe the silence long enough …. It would have been greater if he had prolonged it tad longer, for another 5 seconds or so. At any rate, so mesmerized by the interpretation and the impeccable playing the audience remained exactly as the pre-announcement had requested, i.e., silent!

It is pointless to mention about the playing of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra. By now they had turned themselves into one of the best ensembles in the world, easily matching with and even surpassing the best orchestras in Japan. As pointed out earlier, the importance of having perfect soloists couldn’t be emphasized enough and Chung, who knew this more than anyone else, made sure he gets the best out of the lot. And he did get them absolutely right.

So many things under Chung’s hands went well that I would be nitpicking if I were to go on any further. Suffices to say that Mo Chung had lots of gestures in his sleeves but it had a clear direction and it showed. Overall, it reminded me of an outstanding concert by Edo de Waart and San Francisco Symphony Orchestra in the early 80s, but Chung’s was more intense and had more new things to say about this timeless masterpiece. Happily, the concert was preserved in its entirety for a CD release by the recording producer Michael Fine and Deutsche Grammophon.

As for the CD, it is warm and detailed without any hint of digital recording. That is, it sounds very much like a vintage analog recording minus surface noises.

Kudos to all involved, Chung’s goes straight to the top of the mountain Everest of Mahler Ninths.

3人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2015/01/31

Eliahu Inbal has always been an excellent Mahler conductor. His fortes are great attention to balance and myriad details, careful delineation of the polyphony, sensible phrasing, and judicious choice of tempos, all of which are in keeping with the big picture never sacrificing the forest for the trees. His interpretation is never dull or routine and typically draws cumulatively dramatic effects.

This latest account of Deryck Cooke’s performing edition of the complete Tenth Symphony is a case in point. It shares all the features of Inbal’s first recording with Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra (still available on Denon label), but the Tokyo Metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of which Mr. Inbal is the music director has sheer brilliance in their execution as well as the golden sonority that’s really hard to resist. Happily, Inbal adds rubato in places, e.g., Scherzo I. ＆ II., with wide dynamic contrasts enhancing the drama underlying the score.

Exton supplies with sonics that are nothing short of jaw dropping; it has impressive dynamic range, details, ambiance and warmth.

This is then a tremendous performance/recording of Mahler’s last symphonic thoughts in the late romantic fashion, incomplete but endlessly fascinating and poignant.

I was completely bowled over.

0人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2015/01/18

Listening to Mo Chung’s marvelously warm and humane Beethoven Ninth recording.

It reveals so many details in the strings that I feel like I am hearing the music for the first time! Chung keeps things moving at sensible tempos but never loses his natural flair for romanticism. That said, there were times I suspected he might be smoothing things out a bit too much. I am sure I will get warmed up the interpretation though ... maybe a matter of an acquiring taste?

Seoul Philharmonic Orch. plays with genuine passion, assiduousness, and aplomb.

Kudos also go to Michael Fine, who IMO produced the finest sounding recording out of the tricky Seoul Art House.

1人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2014/11/24

Eliahu Inbal’s third go at Mahler Ninth (his last completed symphony) features the modern recording technique that results in nothing short of a sonic wonder and the well disciplined Tokyo metropolitan Symphony Orchestra of which he has been the principal conductor since 2008.

Compared to his two previous outings - with NHK SO and FRSO, respectively, this latest recording is a tad cool in textures but better than ever he molds every phrase with a keen sense of direction and purpose achieving a state of apotheosis in the great Finale (which gains a full 2 min. over his FRSO version).

A great Mahler Ninth meticulously captured and reproduced in the gorgeous, jaw dropping sound by the Japanese engineers.

2人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2014/10/27

I have been enjoying live concert recordings of Mahler Symphonies No. 6, 7, and 9 by Richard Chailly/Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra over the weekend.

They are all superbly conducted and played and show Chailly’s stronger, deeper involvement with the scores which wasn’t always obvious in his earlier recordings with Amsterdam Concertgebouw Orchestra.

This new live Mahler Ninth is no exception. It is meatier and more propulsive than Chailly’s RCO recording but no less refined and beautifully played. Indeed, Gewandhaus Orchestra plays like men possessed under Chailly dynamic conducting.

The sound is superb, very detailed but warm and vibrant, easily one of the best I’ve ever heard on Blu-ray discs.

Super!

1人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2014/10/08

Gergiev’s take on Mahler’s Ninth Symphony grows on me each time I give a listen. It is a very strong and (unexpectedly) moving account of the composer’s most modern and emotional composition. Granted, Gergiev is not a very refined conductor, nor he pays much attention to details. But fast, direct and relentlessly pushing forward in places, his is as uncompromising a reading as one can expect of this great work. It helps enormously that he has London Symphony Orchestra at his disposal, arguably one of the finest Mahler orchestras in the world, who plays with all the panache, poise, and ’technical’ refinement they got for the demanding conductor.

LSO’s own label recorded and produced it on a single SACD. If somewhat shallow in the front-to-back depth the recording still sounds impressively detailed and impactful. BUT turn the volume up, way up!

It earns my unreserved recommendation.

1人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2014/05/15

A dark horse of Mahler First, Macal’s account reeks with total conviction from start to finish, whether it’s in the wonderfully mystic opening bars, fleet-footed Scherzo, or the surprisingly charged Finale whose interlude still sounding opulently and dreamily poetic. Enormously adding to the conductor’s exemplary leadership is the always great Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in their top form. Just listen to the hopping horns following all the tricky notes in the Finale, the smoothly burning strings, or the woodwinds with that characteristically ’nasal’ - some might call it ’Czechoslovakian’ - tone. You will never hear another orchestra so perfectly and effortlessly tuned to the unique sound world of Gustav Mahler. On this recording alone, they can claim the position of one of the greatest Mahler orchestras in the world.

So, here it goes, my 5 out of 5 star recommendation.

What are you waiting for?

0人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2014/03/17

A sleeper of Mahler Seventh comes from this unexpected source, Gerard Schwarz (a former music director of Seattle Symphony Orchestra) and the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra.

In this Mahler’s most kaleidoscopic symphony, Schwarz elicits from the orchestra as wildly imaginative, idiosyncratic playing as one can hope for, perfectly delivering the moods and temper of the music as well as fulfilling the myriad instructions Mahler so scrupulously attached in the score.

Interpretively, Schwarz isn’t doing much other than letting the music speak for itself. But aided by the superb playing and the fine sonics he manages to mold it into one of the most stimulating and exciting Mahler Sevenths in my recent memory.

A winner by all accounts.

4人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2013/06/04

I was there at the concert at the time of the live recording. The CD sounds every bit as exciting as I can recall from that night. The rich and expressive strings, rock solid brass and percussion, colorful woodwinds are the hallmark of this fabulous orchestra and this CD shows. Kim’s playing is, to say the least, virtuosic and classy. He is a remarkably assured young pianist who is also learning conducting at the moment. Chung’s conducting certainly takes these into account leaning toward classicism, but he unleashes all the romantic flair in the following Symphony No. 5. For the performance of the symphony, Mo Chung expanded the brass section. If my recollection is correct, he expanded the woodwinds as well. As a result, you will hear in this edition a lot of the romantic, forward-looking side of Beethoven. The exposition repeat in the fourth movements is observed.

As for the sonics, it sounds a lot like old LPs - with a slightly less dynamic range than what we normally expect of modern digital recordings, but otherwise it is warm and vibrant. To quote Michael Fine who produced the CD, ”I like good digital sound which should be no different than good analogue sound except cleaner!”. I cannot agree with him more. In the Emperor concerto, the balance slightly favors Kim but that reveals the soloist’s extraordinary skill very vividly and powerfully.

This is a fantastic release overall, a worthy successor to the previous DG recordings by Chung/SPO including Debussy, Mahler and Tchaikovsky.

3人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2013/03/07

The latest rendition of Mahler Sixth is - unexpectedly - from an Italian source and it is surprisingly excellent. Conductor Antonio Pappano (whose Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde received kudos everywhere)’s understanding of the score as well as Mahlerian idioms is fully on display in this recording. His interpretation has the epic scale, sweeping spectacle and swagger, but it also shows an uncanny knack for bringing out the inner logic and beauty that are inherent in the work. Best of all, Pappano’s choice of tempo for all four movements couldn’t be better： I.- 24：33, II - 14：14 III - 15：43, IV - 30：04. Thank God, for once we hear the Scherzo in the second movement!

Granted, there are moments when the various members of the orchestra slip notes here and there, while the recorded sound, somewhat coarse and dynamically compressed, is not up to EMI’s very best. However, taken as a whole this might well be the best modern version of the composer’s most personal and tragic (some might argue his greatest) symphony.

Highest recommendation.

P.S. I’ve listened to this recording more than dozen times now, and I am convinced that Pappano and his orchestra pretty much have nailed everything down in the score. So, let’s make a bold announcement here. This is the best modern recording of the symphony on a par with the Bernstein (Sony) and Tennstedt (EMI). Pappano’s reading strikes a perfect balance between the gut wrenching emotions and the classical architecture of the music like no other before him. In terms of sound and playing, it beats them all.

1人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2013/03/07

A superb Pathetique Symphony from the seasoned Chung/SPO/DG team, this is their fourth album featured by Deutche Grammophon.

What distinguishes this recording from all others are, Maestro Chung’s sensationally musical approach in which the entire symphony is carefully measured and scaled towards its great Finale (IV.), and Michael Fine’s extraordinary job in creating one of the finest digital sounds I ever heard.

Chung’s opening movement is a model of restraint and great musicality ushered in waves of beautiful, lush sound of the orchestra. There are no surprises or twists along the way, but aided by the top notch engineering and deeply committed playing, it still creates drama and tension in due amount. The two inner movements are surprisingly fast and fleet feet, a decision made from the podium that will shine upon completing the all four movements. According to his interpretation, the Scherzo is not the end but there is much to be expected and said beyond III： the conductor seems to be keenly aware that coming to the end of his life Tchaikovsky summed up his most urgent feelings in this movement. Chung slows down the tempo quite a bit, phrasing each note with utmost seriousness and gravitas. Under his baton, the final note slips away almost unnoticed, as in Finale of Mahler’s Ninth Symphony.

All in all, I cannot praise the effort and musicality that went into this production high enough. This one gets my highest rating, 10/10 for Performance and Sound.

1人の方が、このレビューに｢共感｣しています。
　2012/09/28

Anyone with a faintest idea of what Mahler Ninth Symphony could mean should try Bernard Haitink’s new recording with Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.

In the department of sheer physical beauty and orchestral execution this one eclipses Haitink’s own analogue version from the 60s by miles. Granted, there are no earthshaking moments - as expected from him - but virtually every note feels refreshingly new and alive thanks to the brilliant conducting from the podium. In short, before Haitink Mahler Ninth has never sounded so ’fascinating’.

In the great Adagio, the way the orchestra effortlessly lays out all the beautiful, autumnal melodies and counterpoints at such a steady tempo so persuasively is nothing short of breathtaking. Have we ever heard the middle portion of the Rondo Burleske in such a sober yet melancholy mood? What about the climaxes? They (I am thinking of the first movt’s main collapse about 18 min. into the movement) are undone with all the power and authority (listen to the Bavarian brass!), but are also done so naturally but assuredly that I was left with an eerie feeling in the end. Tears in my eyes? Oh yes, surely!

To sum up, this is one of the most naturally powerful rendition of Gustav Mahler’s last completed symphony. Haitink and BRSO really have something new to say about the piece and it’s this listener’s privilege to witness their accomplishment.

The recoding sound which was taken from a live concert is just fine, although it could be less dry and I wish there were more ambiance around the orchestra. It was recorded at a low level, so you need to turn up the volume to fully appreciate the performance.

A great Mahler Ninth and it now joins my list of desert island M9ths along with Bernstein, Levine, Solti, Karajan, and Ozawa.