Mahler: Symphony No. 6 Tragic - Benjamin Zander / Philharmonia Orchestra
Benjamin Zander's ongoing Telarc Mahler series continues with a Sixth Symphony that will please those who have followed his earlier Mahler outings, but it doesn't challenge such outstanding Sixths as those byBernstein(either his earlier Sony or the later DG),Gielen(Hänssler), andLevi(also on Telarc). Like Gielen, he steers a middle course between the overtly emotional Bernstein and the coolly objective Levi. There's much to admire in his performance, such as the beautifully phrased "Alma" theme and a Scherzo movement notable for spirited playing and rhythmic precision. The opening march, though, disappoints with its slow tempo and stiff phrasing, and elsewhere, passages betray signs of inadequate rehearsal or an inability to sustain tension. Next to Bernstein's harrowing finale, Zander's seems tame, though he excels in projecting Mahler's coloristic touches. Like other Zander recordings, this one includes a bonus lecture disc, an interesting discussion of Mahler's revision of the symphony and whether there should be two or three hammer blows. Zander resolves that dilemma by adding another bonus disc that includes both versions of the finale, and in both, Zander ensures that those mighty hammer blows really rock.--Dan Davis