Mahler: Symphony No. 6 "Tragic" (Remastered)

Chronique

Recorded in October 1967 in concert at Cleveland's Severance Hall, this performance of Gustav Mahler's Symphony No. 6 is an attractive but often overlooked gem, perhaps because it has been overshadowed by more famous and sensational recordings. George Szell and the Cleveland Orchestra give a rather strict and meticulous reading of what many consider Mahler's most coherently structured symphony, and their tightness and control are utterly at odds with frenzied, hyper-romantic interpretations. Missing here are the flamboyant liberties of Leonard Bernstein and the ear-splitting force of Georg Solti, and the absence of exaggerated ritardandi and extreme violence may disappoint listeners who prefer a neurotic Mahler. Instead, Szell gives the symphony a sweeping expansiveness without distortion of the tempi, maintains form through judicious pacing, and brings out the work's magical lyricism without minimizing the power of the stunning climaxes, particularly in the Finale. The concluding dirge, marked morendo, is handled most effectively, and unprepared listeners will be shocked by the shattering final chord, one of the most devastating endings ever devised. Reissued in 1991 in Sony's Essential Classics series, this recording is digitally enhanced to provide better sound quality than the original vinyl pressing and presents the whole work on one disc, a rare convenience for a Mahler symphony.

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