Mahler: Symphony No. 9

Chronique

Concluding his cycle of Gustav Mahler's symphonies on LSO Live, Valery Gergiev delivers a compelling reading of the Symphony No. 9 in D major that really puts paid to this critically praised project. Since Gergiev's recording of the Adagio from the unfinished Symphony No. 10 was released in 2009, as filler for the Symphony No. 2, "Resurrection," this is plainly where Gergiev has decided to stop, without venturing into any of the posthumous completions. Philosophically, ending with the Ninth has a long tradition, and conductors who view it as Mahler's true valedictory give it a clearly elegiac tone, which sometimes means that the Finale is stretched out of shape with increasingly slower tempos, and the schmaltz is ladled on beyond good taste. Not so with Gergiev, who maintains a brisk pace through the first three movements and keeps things moving in the last. Propulsion is perhaps the main idea in this performance, and the London Symphony Orchestra plays with forward momentum, even when the music might benefit from a slackening of tension. This pacing might seem like impatience on Gergiev's part -- the performance is almost 80 minutes in duration -- but the consistency of his timing suggests a coherent plan that keeps the symphony on its trajectory, which is especially important in such a long work. Furthermore, Gergiev's emphatic and clear-headed interpretation keeps the music from being maudlin, and while there is a definite feeling of leave-taking at the end, it is free of theatricality and seems inevitable. The sound of this hybrid SACD is deep, expansive, and powerful, and the LSO has a vibrant presence in the Barbican's acoustics.
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