The future head of the opera of Montpellier (the langedossiens can rejoice) is less known in France but is recognized by the addition rhin concerts that he gave for his wonderful leadership of Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Bruckner and Mahler to name chef. I would add also check-Strauss published by Chandos his Salome with the Danish Radio (which have changed names but that is the same Quici orchestra) and ranks alongside the best-Karajan, Solti, Leinsdorf-no small feat .
Finally, we have a chance to hear one of the Titans attack late Romantic repertoire, a job that is certainly a candidate for the title of greatest symphony of the 20th century.
He leads the Danish National Symphony Orchestra, orchestra and high quality that is exactly right to leave the wealth of its rich gloss for this music and the virtuosity required in this work.
First hitch for a disc of the 21st century, the symphony is spread over two discs while the total duration is of slightly less than 80 minutes.
The recording was made in the new Copenhagen Concert Hall and is made from live in 2012.
The recorded sound is excellent almost bordering the beautiful, spacious sound pickup and detail-even if it does little to prevent some parasite noise even if this audience is very acceptable and infrequently.
9th Mahler differs from Bruckner's 9th in the fact that Bruckner anticipates the terrifying ordeal of death followed by judgment, with the hope of salvation and eternal life.
Mahler is rather bitter, and tell the vagaries of inevitable fate of man, also doing ironically as in all his symphonic work, and ending with a nihilistic resignation and expiry
Schonwandt is the fastest side of the spectrum interprétatif.La driving through the neuroses of the first movement emphasizes the dramatic oeuvre by the side keeping the momentum and especially with a fairly flexible beaten and extraordinary changes in tempo, very fast in middle section and is a bit too fast for me in the 2nd "funeral march", but it nevertheless remains an effective understanding.
There are minor problems of sets and narrowly-momentary, with some inaccuracy but not exactly spoil the first two movements, but prevents produce a full effect, a full consistency. Fortunately, in the nightmare world of the symphony, vagueness is almost inevitable (consider the superb live recording Bernstein BPO, where among the misadventures seffondré a member of the audience struck by a heart attack so that the clips have absent (not played) during a major input, but copper group ensured and performance is one of the finest recordings left), and recovery is quick.
The second movement also begins dryly, away from the tread reading Klemperer and OPV, so the tempo change is less surprising, but it is the right play superbly Inist highlighting all comically dramatic momentum. Also really beautiful demonic waltz.
The third movement is at the side of tempo perfectly what I'm looking, dazzling virtuosity and orchestra glory of covers in this movement with precision and very mature especially in stamps (especially the horn).
The final did not train and Schonwandt portamento and rubato widely applied, so that this section, the more intense the Symphonieen avoiding extremes that reveals very effective is beautifully played at any point.
So in the end this is a very late registration and a superb performance, with minor reservations about the technical accuracy of very local way that does not suffice to exclude very very good versions, and certainly confirms that the head has much to tell us about Mahler.
Obviously the competition is fierce and we can not recommend this version as a first choice are the versions of Bernstein (Berlin and Concertgebown), Giulini, Sinopoli (excellent, my favorite avev Bernstein Concertgebown).
