Search - Gustav Mahler, Maurice de Abravanel, Utah Symphony Orchestra :: Mahler: Symphony No. 6 in A minor ("Tragic")

A lovely, thoughtful traversal

07/20/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Abravanel and Bernstein did the first Mahler cycles to be available in the US. Bernstein may have had some interpretative points, but he didn't have the love and refinement that Abravanel had in this material. And STILL the dirty little secret after 30 years is that the Utah SO sounds so much more polished and assured than does the NY Phil. I guess it boils down to what expectations and ambitions are on the podium.And this Sixth is the one out of the Abravanel cycle that demonstrates this most fully. He starts out with a great advantage: Vanguard gives him expansive, airy sound that records the excellent venue and highlights his ensemble's many felicities. The malleability, the musicality, the involvement and sheer technical prowess of the orchestra is readily evident, so much so that one forgets about it and listens to Mahler. The first movement is superbly supervised rythmically; it marches along with a sense of drama and inevitability that only releases as the subsequent movements arise, with subtlety and reflection. The inner movements flow and sweep without a bit of cloying sentimentality and the work finishes with a feeling of reserved power, dignity and communicative purpose. Without going into textual pinpoints, the work moves and lives organically and Abravanel seems to be treating it as a valued creature with a unique soul (if that makes any sense). I suppose you could say it's uncommon, "loving" direction, and the orchestra responds beautifully to it. That much does make sense.Abravanel's is not the only Mahler Sixth to treasure, but it surely is one to add to your velvet box devoted to this lovely work. It shines alongside your Abbados (don't forget his early taping from Rome), Leinsdorf, Solti, the somewhat verdigris but venerable old Flipse, Barbirolli in all his manifestations, Kubelik and the best of Haitink (whose band is also curiously outplayed in this instance by the SLC contingent). There are other fine contributions, too, but this represents my full house.Take in this outstanding and outstandingly low-priced release, and put it with your other special Mahler items."