MAHLER: Symphony No. 2 in C minor, “Resurrection” – Kathleen
Battle, soprano/Maureen Forrester, contralto/ Saint Louis Symphony
Chorus and Orchestra/ Leonard Slatkin – Telarc stereo-only 2-SACD 60081
(2 discs) 82 mins. ****:
Leonard Slatkin’s elegant Mahler Second, recorded in 1983 and now
reissued on 2 SACDs (and sensibly priced as one), is a reminder both of
how stunning Telarc’s Soundstream recordings were in the early days of
the digital revolution (note the startling timpani blows, like cannon
shots, at the beginning of the third movement) and how much they gain
from SACD technology. Even without the benefit of a surround sound
system, the SACD sound (recorded in Powell Symphony Hall) is notably
warmer and richer while the sense of space remains impressive, the
directionality exciting without becoming artificial, and the dynamic
range awesome.
Slatkin’s reading is an exercise, as much as a Mahler performance can
be, in musical restraint, focusing attention on the orderly flow of
events, proceeding as much as possible to the composer’s markings,
rather than presenting them as a demonstration of audiophile brilliance
(Solti with the LSO or Mehta with the Vienna PO, both on Decca), angst
(Bernstein with the New York Phil, either Sony or DG), austere grandeur
(Klemperer with the Philharmonia on EMI), or sheer beauty (Haitink with
the Berlin Phil., on Philips).
Battle, soprano/Maureen Forrester, contralto/ Saint Louis Symphony
Chorus and Orchestra/ Leonard Slatkin – Telarc stereo-only 2-SACD 60081
(2 discs) 82 mins. ****:
Leonard Slatkin’s elegant Mahler Second, recorded in 1983 and now
reissued on 2 SACDs (and sensibly priced as one), is a reminder both of
how stunning Telarc’s Soundstream recordings were in the early days of
the digital revolution (note the startling timpani blows, like cannon
shots, at the beginning of the third movement) and how much they gain
from SACD technology. Even without the benefit of a surround sound
system, the SACD sound (recorded in Powell Symphony Hall) is notably
warmer and richer while the sense of space remains impressive, the
directionality exciting without becoming artificial, and the dynamic
range awesome.
Slatkin’s reading is an exercise, as much as a Mahler performance can
be, in musical restraint, focusing attention on the orderly flow of
events, proceeding as much as possible to the composer’s markings,
rather than presenting them as a demonstration of audiophile brilliance
(Solti with the LSO or Mehta with the Vienna PO, both on Decca), angst
(Bernstein with the New York Phil, either Sony or DG), austere grandeur
(Klemperer with the Philharmonia on EMI), or sheer beauty (Haitink with
the Berlin Phil., on Philips).
Texturally rich, and often exciting, Slatkin’s Mahler is worth hearing, especially at the reasonable price.
– Laurence Vittes
