Search - Gustav Mahler :: Mahler - Symphony 4 & 5

Very enjoyable Fourth ; most unsatisfying Fifth.

Jeffrey Lee | Asheville area, NC USA | 04/09/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This Solti/Concertgebouw Mahler Fourth ranks among the best ever recorded. It has long been a favorite of mine since it appeared on lp nearly 44 years ago. Hearing it again on cd rekindles my sense of pleasure. Solti basically steers clear of the kind of showmanship he would demonstrate in later years which sometimes bordered on crassness and a certain glibness of expression. The entire performance is very nicely balanced, yet never dull. A high point is reached in the lovely third movement, where Solti is most effective at bringing out a sense of longing and drama. He also draws a lyrical portamento from the strings. In the final movement, the contribution of soprano Sylvia Stahlman is very fine. She is both smooth and tuneful. Rarely have I enjoyed the last portion of this symphony as much as I do here. The playing of the Concertgebouw Orchestra is outstanding.



In contrast to the Fourth, however, I get little satisfaction from the conductor's view of the Fifth with the Chicago Symphony(an orchestra not steeped in the great Mahler tradition of the Amsterdam Concertgebouw), though I reserve some of my criticism for the recording engineers for what is sometimes overly vivid sound. This, in combination with Solti's more than occasional penchant for driving the music a little too aggressively does not bode well for enjoyable listening. In the rondo finale, subtle and interesting details are whisked over. Contrasts in color, shade and mood suffer. The adagietto is one of the least pleasing I have heard. There is virtually no grace, and there is little that soothes. Massed strings border on stridency. In the rest of the symphony, Solti's relative superficiality of expression constitutes a distinct drawback. At times, his characterization is dragging and almost cheaply theatrical. While banality intermittently reveals itself as part of Mahler's complex expressive arsenal, with Solti at the helm, it billows forth as excessive overlay. Sorry, but for me this is a terribly unsatisfying Mahler Fifth, largely because the conductor misses the emotional mark. Too bad the Concertgebouw Fourth was not made available separately."