Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Heavenly Mahler, 9 Jul 2006
Michael Tilson Thomas is working his way through the Mahler Symphonies and a number of them have already won prestigious rewards. Symphony no 4 is undoubtedly the sunniest of all Mahlers symphonic output, and an ideal introduction to his work. However the work should not be dismissed as lightweight just because it is not full of angst. The final movement is a depiction of heaven and the whole symhony is leading just there. The symphony gets 5 stars from me first of all because it is a delighful listen. With the benefit of SACD there can be no complaints about the sonic splendour of it all, and Laura Claycomb interprets the words of the final song with well chosen vocal colour to reflect the humour and charm of the text.The slow movement is also one of the highlights of this disc. With forward moving well shaped phrases the recording does justice to the simple yet profound beauty of Mahlers writing.
One to listen to and so enter a sound world that escapes the tensions of so much modern living. Simplistic perhaps but heavenly nevertheless.
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5.0 out of 5 stars
Mahler heaven, but beware, 23 Aug 2009
This is a dream performance of the Mahler Fourth Symphony, music I have sensed through other recordings heard over four decades, and now at last hear fully realized. Rather than some lightweight anomaly as often perceived, this performance fully validates the Symphony's position in Mahler's oeuvre.
Tilson Thomas is one of the few, a natural Mahlerian. That doesn't guarantee anything in Mahler's complex world. But here, it all comes together.
From the first notes Tilson Thomas has you in his grip, and he never lets go. His phrasing and dynamics are bold but natural. Transitions are spontaneous, and the depths hidden in the work emerge as if by magic. The tempi relationships between movements are so finely judged that the four sections seem to merge into a unified whole.
But forget the whys and wherefores; the ultimate achievement of Tilson Thomas and his San Franciscan players is that they effectively disappear for the duration. You are alone with Mahler's music, and feel a direct communion with Mahler's soul, and the transcendence that he could discern and so marvelously translate into mere frequency dependent pressure fluctuations in air for others to share.
With Mahler, I usually have difficulty in recommending any one version of the symphonies as definitive. This case is an exception. Others may hear it differently. After all, I have Ivan Fischer's disc in transit right now - you never know! However, this reading should be on anyone's short list.
The recording is spacious and airy, suggesting a large auditorium. As such, a relatively low volume works best. Perhaps there is a little too much ambiance, and I tend to prefer the front/rear balance a little forward of neutral, to "move" myself half a dozen rows closer to the stage. Solo instrument imagery is spot on, and the strings soar sweetly. There is good body and a rounded warmth to the orchestra, which doesn't preclude the bass drum occasionally traveling through the floor and whacking me in the seat, despite not having a sub-woofer!
WARNING: Over the period from late last year to March this year, I have purchased one copy of the SFS Mahler 4th Symphony SACD from the USA, and two copies from the UK. All three copies were faulty, with the SACD surround track suffering numerous audio dropouts. It would appear that the whole batch of discs from the current pressing is affected. A long driving trip in June inspired me to test the last of these faulty discs in my car CD player. It played perfectly.
For the purposes of this review I played as much of the SACD surround track as was possible to evaluate the sound. When the surround track became intolerable, I switched to the stereo track in the SACD layer. From that point on there were no problems. So it seems that the CD layer is OK, and in all probability so too is the SACD stereo track. Personally, I'm waiting until I'm sure the problem is fixed before purchasing again.
DISCLAIMER: This is a Hybrid SACD. Unless otherwise indicated, any comments relating to sound are based on the SACD surround track as heard on a 4.0 speaker system. All speakers are full range. The CD stereo layer can be played on any CD, DVD or Blu-ray player.
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~ Gustav Mahler
~ Gustav Mahler
~ Gustav Mahler
~ Gustav Mahler
~ Gustav Mahler
