Mahler: Symphony No. 5 - Benjamin Zander / Philharmonia Orchestra
Benjamin Zander follows hisoutstanding live recording of Mahler's 9thwith an even more impressive version of the 5th, made  in the studio and thus yielding even more lifelike sound and orchestral  polish. The opening funeral march movement is especially notable for  the outstanding trumpet soloist, neatly judged tempos, and  natural-sounding rubato. Zander's pacing of the Scherzo follows Mahler's  instructions--"not too fast"--obtaining a nice rhythmic lift from his  players and allowing myriad orchestral details to come through. The  famous Adagietto is taken at a flowing tempo, avoiding the leaden  quality with which overly slow performances tend to stifle it. The huge  finale, just a bit slower than most performances, sacrifices some  excitement to clarity. The Philharmonia's horns and brass are  outstanding, as are the strings, which phrase Mahler's lines with  genuine affection. But the percussion, so important in Mahler, is a  weak link. In sum, a fine performance in a crowded competitive field  headed byBernstein's extraordinary DG  recording. What sets this apart, however, is Telarc's bonus disc--a  78-minute lecture-demonstration by Zander that serves as a terrific  introduction to the work for novice Mahlerians, and will intrigue and  educate even those who thought they knew this symphony inside out.--Dan  Davis