Solti takes his last stand on the podium, and scores a trium
Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 09/12/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Georg Solti was a tough bird, yet one cannot help but feel moved that he found himself conducting a funeral march just seven weeks before he died on Sept. 4, 1997. Decca has released that concert with the Zurich Tonhalle Orch. as a memorial to the late conductor. The Mahler Fifth laid claim to being Solti's signature piece. Whether its the occasion itself or the aura surrounding it, this is an inspired reading. Minus a few fluffs, the orchestra plays with glowing excitement, and the recorded sound is excellent.
Gone form the first movement is any trace of Solti's former impatience and harshness. The funeral march moves elegaically rather than with foreboding. Transsitions are molded beautifully, and when the music veers into terror, Solti faces the grimness head on without panic or hectic disarray. You can hear that he isn't leading the Vienna Phil. or the CSO, but that hardly matters given the grip of the perfformance. Ideally the next two movements should have untrammelled power, which this ensemble can't deliver, but they remain committed to giving Solti everything he wants.
He leads the famous Adagietto at a moderate amble (it times out at 9:58), taking care not to maunder. Because of its association with "Death in Venice,' one can't help hearing death in this music, and Solti conducts it with a depth of feeling I have never associated with him -- the resuslt is very touching. The finale of the Fifth is always called problematic, and Solti doesn't try to solve its puzzles. He conducts a straightforward reading without falling into slackness. There's plenty of energy left in him for a dash to the finish. The orchestra noticeably tires but keeps up.
In the end, this memorial CD shouldn't be stacked up in competition against the many other outstanding versions of the Mahler Fifth. It's a fitting tirbute that catches the maestro in excellent form. What better sendoff could he have wished for -- or we?"
Muscular Mahler
Rodney W. Helt | Verona. WI USA | 12/23/2008
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This release is a fitting conclusion to Solti's fine career. It is also a typical muscular view that the conductor took with this composer's works. Check out his recording of the 8th for another prime example. So I enjoyed listening and found it far more rewarding than Gergiev's recent Mahler cycle releases. Solti was more of a studio mavern, so this live recording gives another take on his legacy. Recommended.
For other excellent versions see Abbado, Haitink, and Berstein. For the historically minded, check out Walter's NY Philharmonic air check."
Track Listings (14) - Disc #1