Haitink Replay: Bernard Haitink has been under fire from certain quarters for re-recording his core-repertory on orchestra-based labels. But Haitink's Indian summer in front of the microphones has captured some marvelous performances for posterity. One thinks of the brilliant Beethoven symphony cycle with the London Symphony Orchestra (LSO Live), resolute Bruckner in Amsterdam (RCO Live) and Dresden (Hänssler) and his recording accomplishments as principal conductor of the CSO. The symphonies of Gustav Mahler figured prominently in the latter and accounts of Nos 1, 3 and 6 have proven irresistible to demanding collectors of a particularly stoic disposition. This recording of the 'Resurrection' more than amply justifies the conductor's preference for doing what he knows best. It is his finest interpretation of the score and as fine as any on record.Traditions: The tradition of objective Mahler performance was established in the Concertgebouw by Eduard van Beinem by the 1950s. As his successor, Haitink maintained this luminescent objectivity and passed it on intact to Riccardo Chailly in due course. Bernard Haitink made two studio recordings of Mahler's Second with the RCO (1968) and the BPO (1993) for Philips. Yet his previous best performance can be found only on a Netherlands domestic product in the Philips Dutch Master series. The broadcast relay tape revealed that Haitink could be a very different conductor in concert than in the studio. The account of December 25, 1984 was revelatory. And the present recording from November 2008 is even better with the added advantage of the latest advances in engineering. Haitink also made a decisive contribution to the restoration of another important tradition: the dark and deep-rooted Central European tone of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. CSO Resound conveys in full the sonorities which made the orchestra famous under Reiner and Solti. The CSO is back in form and once again audibly unique among American orchestras. May Bernard Haitink long continue to record what he wants, when he wants ...and aren't we lucky? --Classical Music Sentinel, Stephen Habington, February 2010In Issue 206, TC complained that a shattering performance of Shostakovich's Fourth Symphony by Haitink and the Chicago Symphony was not recorded in the latest technology, SACD. Someone evidently listened, for Mahler's Second Symphony, performed by the same conductor and orchestra, is (hybrid SACD CSOR 901 916, two discs). It is a beautifully played performance, with great balances and dynamic range (most of the symphony is soft, and the Chicago responds impressively), although far from a shattering interpretation. The soloists, soprano Miah Persson and mezzo Christianne Stotijn are fine. The last movement is where the performance falters most. When it finally picks up speed, Haitink does not drive the orchestra energetically. When the chorus comes in, the tempo is slow enough that the changes from duple to triple meter (one of the most forward-looking moments in the piece) are not perceptible. (The only SACD performance where they are is Gergiev on LSO Live, which TC recommends.) --Turok's Choice, Paul Turok, March 2010Rating: 5 stars   I started out not liking this much. But--this is usually the case when I hear this symphony in a new recording for the first time. Mahler has the curse of suffering a great largesse of interpretative nuance, and this, his most popular work, is the one that gets the most critical scrutiny. It was his first great success, even though it was written piecemeal over a five year period. There are so many warning signs in this for me, so many things that have to be just right, that if they are not I get disappointed. As a result, there are very few recordings of this work that truly satisfy me.The greatest I have ever heard is Bernstein's radio broadcast from the Blossom Music Festival with the Cleveland Orchestra in the summer of 1970, the one and only time he ever conducted that orchestra. It is a sensational performance, and should be released by the Clevelanders immediately (I haven't heard it on the radio for about 15 years or so). The same conductor's New York recording from 1963 still sets somewhat of a standard, though the sound was long ago passed. It's not bad--I haven't heard the newly-remastered version of that great and historical series (though what I have heard makes me shy away--apparently there is a great deal more treble. I have the box from 2001 that also includes the Kindertotenlieder with Janet Baker, something the new set does not) so I can't compare with the new one, but even here the sound is good enough to present Mahler in his full-blown glory.One of my first issues is the opening accelerando in the upward-scaled strings. So many conductors artificially start this off at a slower tempo in order to make that speed-up. This is not what Mahler called for, and Bernstein gets it right. So does Levi (Telarc), Slatkin (Telarc), and Tilson-Thomas (SF). The other critical issue is the sound of the chorus in the final passages of the last movement; if this is not overwhelmingly glorious, I feel let down. Yoel Levi and Atlanta have hands-down the most glorious finale on record; it is stunning to hear, even if it is not in SA. This recording is something of a benchmark, and more people should know it. It and the Bernstein have the best finales, though Levi is more deliberate than Lenny, who makes some beautifully pointed episodes in almost all of the movements. His choral work on the later DGG recording is also very well recorded, though he adds a much slower conclusion to the descending chromatic scale at the end of the first movement, while Levi mimics Bernstein's 1963 recording and takes it at a rapid tempo. I would not be without either of these two readings.So what of this new Chicago issue with the venerable Bernard Haitink? Since it is in SACD, I think it only fair to compare like to like. Zinman (RCA) is the cleanest on record, almost too clean, and at times his otherwise excellent Tonhalle Orchestra of Zurich sounds thin in the strings. He is no-nonsense all the way, as you might expect. The much heralded Ivan Fischer (Channel Classics) and his Budapest Festival Orchestra (especially for Mahler's Forth, which I have not heard) is not as clear as Zinman, but more exciting, though neither he nor Zinman get the opening right. Fischer's finale is more exhilarating and very well sung, though lacking the punch of Levi. There are a few overdone, rather "tubby" sounding moments as well, especially in the percussion. Slatkin's Telarc is now released in SA, though only two-channel, but Telarc's "Soundstream" process really packs a wallop. (If you want to do a really interesting comparison, listen to the Atlanta/Shaw Carmina Burana in regular CD and then SA--the difference, even though still in two channel, is astounding.)We have to turn to Tilson-Thomas to find a really first-rate SA Second. His San Francisco players are beautifully captured in lifelike sound, somewhat recessed compared to these others, but on a wide stage with pristine sonics. Thomas gets the opening absolutely correct and has a suitably moving ending, though again not quite as powerful as the Levi. But this is definitely one of the top-rank Mahler twos. The new Chicago is done by a master Mahlerian who has spent a lifetime with the work. Haitink, in the short time he has been in Chicago, has managed to bring a more silken sound to the string section, never known for its lustrous tone. Don't get me wrong, they are better than 95% of the strings sections out there, but compared to Philly/Ormandy they don't come close (who did for that matter?). But I like what I hear here, and they have a fine Mahler sound to them, coarser when needed, but also capable of great beauty in the longer lines. The winds and brass are just about perfect, playing to the traditional strengths of this orchestra.This is not a version I am recommending because of its great interpretative insights; in fact, it is rather relaxed. Haitink's tempos are very deliberate (I won't say "slow"), almost as if he is wallowing in the impressionistic aspects of Mahler's score just to revel in the sonorities. He also misses the opening like Fischer and others. No--what makes me rate this version highly is the magnificent sound, surely the best this symphony has ever received. The breadth and depth of the soundstage have to be heard to be believed, rich, warm, and so full of sonic potency. You can almost imagine a third dimension to it, so vivid does it come across. Another reason is the chorus, the second greatest in America (sorry, the Atlanta Symphony Chorus still reigns supreme), and no surprise since it was founded by a Robert Shaw student (Margaret Hillis), later an assistant conductor of Shaw's Collegiate Chorale before assuming Chicago duties. The current standards have been kept high by Chorus Director Duain Wolfe. The voices are set wonderfully, and the finale pages belong among the greats of recorded history. I might mention the two solo singers are also excellent.This is not your one-and-only Mahler 2; the interpretation won't stand up to that scrutiny. You have to have Bernstein, Levi, and Thomas. But this is a milestone, and audiophiles will salivate. All others will simply be in for a heck of a ride. --Audiophile Audition, Steven Ritter, January 1, 2010S'il y a un cycle in progress des symphonies de Mahler à suivre pour ceux qui n'aiment (ou ne connaissent) pas Mahler, c'est bien celui de Haitink. Bien qu'il réussisse à produire des fortissimi spectaculaires, on ne peut pas dire qu'il décoiffe ou dérange pour autant - psychologiquement, s'entend. Il nous donne plutôt un Mahler accessible, posé, voire agréable, avec un sens de la forme qui se révèle être le véritable testament intellectuel de ce grand chef. Le tout jumelé à une opulente palette orchestrale (écoutez ces cuivres graves dans le dernier mouvement!), un registre dynamique et des solistes intéressants, quoique pas parfaitement complémentaires (le trémolo serré de Persson dérange un peu, mais son timbre léger est idéal pour Urlicht). Un bel achat, assurément. --La Scena Musicale, René Bricault, February 2010The CSO and Haitink have recorded Mahler's monumental symphony twice but never before with each other. Their latest album stems from performances given at Orchestra Hall in November 2008. The vivid sound picture lends an added sense of occasion to the reading. Haitink's reading hangs fire until the Day of Judgment bursts forth thrillingly; elsewhere one misses the intensity Claudio Abbado and Georg Solti brought to their CSO recordings.That said, the refinement of detail achieved by Haitink is superb. And the majestic choral evocation of heavenly rebirth elicits a gloriously full and expressive sound from the 150-voice chorus. Mezzo Christianne Stotijn delivers a warmly confiding "Urlicht." Not a first-choice recommendation, then, but worth having for Haitink's autumnal insights and the magnificent playing and choral singing. --Chicago Tribune, John von Rhein, November 26, 2009The Chicago Symphony Orchestra probably can play this symphony by heart, and certainly its fabled brass (particularly trombones and horns), as well as the superb chorus, give the big moments the weight that they require. The problem is that the rest of the orchestra--not to mention Bernard Haitink--seems not to be making a similar effort. As an interpreter, Haitink remains a cypher. This is at least his fourth authorized recording of this symphony, and while it's not quite as dull as his Berlin remake for Philips, it contains neither a single distinctive interpretive idea nor an atom of passion.While up to tempo, there's no sense of struggle in the first movement, no menace in its coda, no quirky humor in the scherzo, and the finale lacks any sense of urgency--it particularly hangs fire as soon as the chorus enters. The "cry of despair" in the third movement is impressive because the orchestra knows how it goes, not because Haitink takes any trouble to make something special of it. Similarly the final chorale has impact because the chorus sings wonderfully, and the organ pedals are well caught by the otherwise low-level recording.But where is the bite to the cellos and basses at the symphony's opening, the vigor in the finale's "dead march", or the transcendent power of the final pages (almost no bells, by the way)? It's Haitink on autopilot, as he so often seems to be these days. Among the soloists Christianne Stotijn turns in a lovely "Urlicht", but Miah Persson's voice lacks the necessary purity to float over the choir in her first two entrances in the finale.This is nothing more than a respectable, workaday subscription performance that any paying concertgoer surely would have enjoyed, but it has no business being preserved and issued on disc. Haitink's finest "Resurrection" by far remains his first, more as a classic example of a great Mahler orchestra's characteristic style in the 1960s than for anything he brings to the party. His later performances prove convincingly that most of the credit for the excellence of that first version does not rest with the conductor. There is something to be said for his naturally self-effacing approach, his willingness to let the music "speak for itself"--but then, why keep recording it over and over? Enough already. --Classics Today, David Hurwitz, November 2009The most recent release from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Resound label is an impressive recording of Mahler's Second Symphony. Based on performances given in late November 2008, this recording preserves the memorable readings CSO principal conductor Bernard Haitink gave this work last year. While comparisons can be awkward, the previous point of reference for CSO audiences was the series of performances by Michael Tilson Thomas in early 2006. At that time Tilson Thomas conducted the work dynamically, but some elements did not emerge readily as, for example, the portamento in the strings in the second movement. Haitink's approach may be characterized as attentive to the details of the score, and his mastery of those various elements has resulted in an intensely moving interpretation.     While it is possible to distinguish the first three instrumental movements from the last two vocal ones, Haitink fused the five movements into a convincing whole in the concerts he gave in Fall 2008. It may be difficult, at times, to perceive such cohesiveness in a recording, since listeners can stop and start at various points. Nevertheless, the disc captures the style Haitink achieved in live concerts in a fine recording of Mahler's Second Symphony.     In this recording, it is possible to hear the attention to detail which Haitink brought to those live performances. Such integrity allowed the score to play as intended by the composer, an intention implicit in the various revisions Mahler made after the premiere of the Second in 1894 - particularly the refinements he published in the 1906 edition of the score. From the start Haitink made the work resonate, with the tremolo with which the first movement opens as intense as a climactic moment in an opera. The opening tempo is engaging, and Haitink is able to propel the movement forward by drawing from the orchestra nicely etched articulations at cadences and other structurally important places, as indicated in the score. He broadens the tempo when necessary and, when marked in the score, allows various passages to push forward. The swells of sound Mahler orchestrated have a clear shape, as the sonorities build to fullness and decay naturally. While some of this ambience may be the result of the acoustics of the hall, the tight ensemble of the CSO must be acknowledged as the source of the solid and mature sound in this masterful performance. With the strings at the core, the orchestra offers equally strong sonorities from the woodwinds and brass. At the same time, the percussion deserves recognition for the effective use of the timpani, along with support from the non-tuned instruments. With its immediate and upfront sound in this recording, the softer passages are never lost in the mix; however the tutti passages at the end of the first section of the first movement, to cite one example, can be overwhelming. The passages which conclude the movement reveal an appropriate pacing, with the final gesture bringing the movement to a resounding conclusion.     While some labels issue Mahler's Second Symphony on a single disc, CSO Resound offers it on two, with the one devoted to the first movement, the piece Mahler once entitled "Todtenfeier," in the manner of a tone poem Mahler once intended for the piece. The remaining four movements are found on the second of the two CDs. This division also assists in adhering to the marking Mahler put in the score to allow some time before proceeding with the second movement. In the medium of a sound recording, this physical separation supports that kind of stage direction. Likewise, the placement of the second through fifth movements on the second disc helps to prevent any kind of artificial separation of the instrumental movements from the vocal ones.     In contrast to the dramatic effect Haitink brings out in the first movement, the second conveys a delicacy implicit in the score. This emerges not only in the softer, more restrained playing, but in the clean articulations of the accompanying figures. In a similar way, the woodwinds are not just soft, as marked in the score, but seem sotto voce in approach, with a reedy blend prominent in the second section of the movement. With the return of the first area, Haitink's hesitant gestures helped to distort the expected melodic pattern before the variation proceeds. Even within the delicate shadings of the movement, full sounds of the central section never seemed to be a compromise. Rather, the plaintive effect fits into the sometimes elegiac character of the movement.     The Scherzo in Haitink's hands is relatively brisk, and the tempos convey a sense of the instrumental idiom of the movement. While the music from Mahler's Wunderhorn setting Des Antonius von Padua Fischpredigt ("St. Anthony of Padua's Sermon to the Fish") is recognizable, Haitink allows the other ideas in the movement to emerge easily from that vocal model. Those brisk tempos set up the middle section of the movement, where the brass fanfare introduces music by Mahler's deceased colleague Hans Rott, specifically the opening of the Scherzo from the Rott's Symphony in E. When the thematic content from both Rott's Scherzo and Mahler's Wunderhorn song combine near the end of the movement, Haitink sustains the tension of the orchestral outburst sufficiently to allow the remainder of the movement to dissipate naturally.     The quieter sounds and thinner textures at the end of the Scherzo fit nicely into the chamber-music-like sonorities at the beginning of Urlicht, the fourth movement. In this movement Christianne Stotijn uses her full mezzo sound to color the text from Des Knaben Wunderhorn. Her voice blends well with the middle-string sounds, yet is never obscured within the orchestral textures. The calm and paced song gives way, in turn, to the choral Finale, and in this movement Haitink delivers a compelling reading of Mahler's cantata-like structure which centers on the famous "Auferstehungs" Ode of Klopstock.     The contrasts found in the score are realized nicely in this recording, with the thunderous opening of the movement serving as a foil for the relatively quiet sounds from the off-stage brass which follow and, later, the development of the opening theme on solo instruments. Haitink restrains the horns in the first part of the movement, with the fanfares from that section quite rich in color, but never as prominent as they are later in the movement. Likewise, the low brass are wonderfully clear and resonant, without overbalancing the ensemble - not only in the reprise of the "O Roschen rot" idea from Urlicht, but also later, Mahler develops motifs around the interval of the tritone. Ultimately, the repose which accompanies the instrumental presentation of the Aufterstehungs-Motif from the third act of Wagner's Siegfried (the passage in which the character Brünnhilde sings "Ewig war ich, ewig bin ich" -- "I was eternal, I am eternal") serves as a further foil for the various off-stage and solo instruments in the section before the a capella chorus enters.     At this point, it is difficult to recall a more satisfying interpretation of the choral entrance with the words "Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n, wirst du, mein Staub" ("Arise, yes, arise, my dust"), with the vocal textures full and rich. Miah Persson's soprano solo plays off the choral timbre with ease and assurance as her passages emerge clearly. When Persson interacts with Stotijn in the duet which follows, both women's voices blend well in conveying not only the meaning of the text but also the emotional pitch of the music. This sets the tone for the choral sections which follow. The full sounds of the male voices are impressive for the textured sonorities they create. Haitink is good to allow the passage "Bereite dich" to resonate, and then to linger on the passages that follow. In such a way, the text and music build to a fitting and appropriate conclusion, which climaxes on the phrase "Sterben werd' ich um zu leben" ("I perish in order to live") before the reprise of the text "Aufersteh'n, ja aufersteh'n" ("Arise, yes arise"). Here the combined sounds of the chorus, soloists, and orchestra have free rein in bringing this monumental work to its conclusion, as Mahler creates a vocal tableau as the culmination of his Second Symphony.     The recording does justice to the performances on which it is based, and also points to the affinity between Haitink and the CSO when it comes to interpreting Mahler's music. This recording is a worthy addition to the already fine set of recordings from these performers, which include the two symphonies which frame this one, the First and Third, as well as Haitink's incisive recording of Mahler's Sixth Symphony. Whether these will result in a cycle is less important than the fine interpretations each recording contributes to the legacy of recordings for these works. With this newly issued disc, Haitink and the CSO offer a powerful reading of this important score. It stands apart from others not only for the interpretation Haitink offers but also for the execution of the score by one of the finest orchestras in the world. Available both on CD on a two-disc set and also as a download, this recording bears careful listening for the detailed reading it brings to Mahler's familiar score. --MusicWeb International, James L. Zychowicz, December 2009There's something fitting and timely about listening to Mahler's Symphony No. 2, ("Resurrection). Like the times, the work is ominous in tone and all about troubled transfiguration. And one of the best recordings to connect with that sentiment is this latest outing by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.With this disc, the CSO gives a super-balanced performance of a tough work. But fans of highly dramatic interpretations of Mahler beware. This recording eschews a go-for-the-jugular sonic approach in favor of something finely shaped and less than fast. Here all nuances, big or small, are honored, even in the apocalyptic last movement.Credit for this well-drawn performance must be given to conductor Bernard Haitink. His sophisticated and sensitive approach may be due to Haitink being 80 years old. His august approach steers the orchestra into a relaxed pace, but one that does not lose urgency.That sets up an environment where the musical minutiae are allowed to bloom. In the sinister- sounding first movement, the music is dark and weighty, but never sodden. The fine orchestral playing that is the CSO's trademark is heard in the Andante, wherein winds, strings and brass sound super-clear and clean, regardless of whether the playing is loud or pianissimo.In the Mahler canon, there's nothing more spine-tingling than the whispered entrance of the chorus in the last movement. And on this recording, the seamless way those hushed voices evolve into the earth- shattering finale makes this a must-have recording.This CD also boasts the radiant mezzo-soprano of Christianne Stotijn. --The Sacramento Bee, Edward Ortiz, January 25, 2010This fourth installment in Haitink's CSO Mahler series perfectly captures the atmosphere and drama of the composer's sprawling musical depiction of life, death and rebirth. Duain Wolfe's CSO Chorus scales the cosmic heights in the finale. --Daily Herald, Bill Gowen, January 2010With this triumphant new "Resurrection," Bernard Haitink and the Chicago Symphony add the central pillar to the trilogy of early Mahler symphonies. Mahlerites everywhere can be very thankful to the Chicago Symphony organization and CSO Resound for thus documenting this important and illuminating series; I'm sure I'm not alone in the hope that it continues.  In the first movement, Haitink projects clarity over power with an opening that doesn't take you by the throat: this music is wary, almost tentative, as though dreading what is to come; in short, this isn't the Chicago Symphony of Solti's Decca recordings, a powerhouse bowling you over with the sheer impact of its sound. Haitink is after a more complex tonal structure, probing the contest between Mahler's two thematic strands with precision. Shimmering violin tremolos and plaintive oboes characterize the pastoral, major-mode music, and stern basses and portentous brass energize the minor mode theme. While the excitement quotient is lower than that of Fischer on Channel, the coherence of Haitink's vision is preferable to Gergiev on LSO Live. Michael Tilson Thomas is more overtly dramatic, and his SFS recording projects a more dynamic sound picture than this new one does. Like MTT, Haitink's set isolates the first movement on disc 1, allowing the listener to more easily honor Mahler's request for a pause of at least five minutes' duration before the next movement.  The second movement begins in a stately, elegant, and flowing fashion. The Chicago strings are full-bodied, the sections clearly differentiated in the production (Haitink seats the violins together, basses and cellos to the right). Altogether, this movement represents an affectionately nostalgic portrait of the hero of Mahler's original program. The Scherzo is all sinuous grace, and one marvels again at the variety and character of Mahler's orchestration, reproduced with such care here. The grand two-part chorale that ushers in the trio is just pompous enough, while the trio is gentle and saccharin-free. The premonition of the finale is a sudden and effective injection of Chicago muscle.  The success of "Urlicht" is all about the individual soloist, and MTT has set a difficult new standard to match by choosing the incomparable Lorraine Hunt Lieberson. Christianne Stotijn's is a youthful-sounding mezzo, however, and her purity of tone is perfectly suited to the declaration of faith embodied in the text.  The finale is ushered in with a deep-throated roar, faithfully reproduced by the engineers, another taste of the power mostly held in reserve in this performance. The "voice crying in the wilderness" is nicely distanced (as is the later offstage band), a harbinger of things to come. Somber tones give way to the first suggestion of the Resurrection, as the brass blaze forth. The spacious sound effortlessly accommodates Mahler's expanding sonic palette, as the "opening of the graves" ushers in the Resurrection march. The "Great Call" is heard, the offstage trumpet fanfares answer the entreaties of the flute, and then the chorus enters. The CSO Chorus is one to envy, powerful, articulate, and always musical. Miah Persson, heard in Fischer's Mahler Fourth, is a splendid soprano soloist, and Stotijn's reappearance here is most welcome. The final "Aufersteh'n" is rousing, climactic, and totally convincing, with the organ a potent presence.  In SACD, MTT still tops my recommendation list, but this new CSO Resound recording can comfortably share the same shelf as the Fischer, and rates above those by Gergiev, Norrington, and Zinman. In stereo, Eschenbach's Philadelphia set (Ondine) is a worthy complement to Haitink's new one from Chicago. --Fanfare, Christopher Abbot, Mar-Apr 2010