Search - Mahler, Tennstedt, Lpo :: Symphony 8

The late Klaus Tennstedt gave many fine Mahler performances, but this one is rather special. He used smaller forces than usual--"only" four or five hundred people-and the result, far from making the work sound smaller, actually does just the opposite. The clarity of the complex textures and the precision of the singing actually permit you to hear more than in just about any other version. The result makes the music even more imposing. In the second movement, Tennstedt has the soloists placed naturally within the orchestral texture, and again the result is a freshness and clarity of detail that makes the music sound delightfully spontaneous. When Tennstedt was off, he was really off, but when he was on, he was incredible. For this recording, he was right on. --David Hurwitz