Well here’s a how-di-do,
as Gilbert said. This issue is full
of fascinating twists and turns and
raises one or two unanswerable questions
unless one had been in on both the original
sessions and the remixing session in
the studio in 2004.
The performance is
very beautiful, stunningly well played,
and absolutely full of Mahlerian pathos
and angst. Not too much of the latter
and just enough of the former. The Trauermarsch
is as weary as could be and rightly
so. This is indeed played "with
measured tread, austere, like a funeral
cortège" just as Mahler
instructs. There is a palpable desperation
about it that is very touching. Unfortunately
Abbado is not sufficiently "violently
agitated" in the second movement
to provide my ideal contrast. His other
weakness is the Rondo-Finale
where it seems to me that he lacks the
tension generated by such as Rattle
(EMI DVD 7243 4 90325 9 0) or Kubelik
(DG CD not currently separately available).
Abbado’s Rondo is just that bit
too measured and I miss that sense of
wildness and sheer weirdness that others
have shown to be inherent in this extraordinary
movement. There is no sense in which
the performance is bad, that would be
an insult to a great Mahlerian. If you
do not know the symphony, and this is
your first recording of it, you will
be enraptured and will never lose your
taste for the work. I, like many critics,
have so many recordings of the 5th
that I keep thinking about the good
aspects of the other ten recordings
I own. For me, overall, Abbado just
does not quite measure up. If I were
to encapsulate what is missing it would
definitely be that sense of the phantasmagoric
that was captured so well by Hermann
Scherchen back in 1953 (MCA MCD80081).
Most readers are not
that sort of Mahler "nut",
so should this be your purchase? I regret
not. In many respects the reasons are
technical. This is not a DSD recording,
it is PCM 24 bit/44.1 kHz. It was originally
recorded in 1993 and issued that year
on Deutsche Grammophon 437 789-2 on
a single 69 minute CD. This present
issue is a remix for 5.1 surround from
the original (I assume) multi-track
master and it does not convince. Somehow
the balance has been changed and seems
to throw the orchestra left, allow the
brass to recess back, and there is almost
no ambience. When the applause comes
in at the end it is around you, so there
probably were microphones out in the
auditorium. In 1993 no one was focused
on surround but were recording for 2-channel
stereo. I can only guess, but I doubt
that the multi-track tape was well suited
for surround and I think the re-mix
has spoiled the recording. I tried listening
to the CD Stereo layer and it is much
clearer and better balanced and has
more impact. If it is surround impact
you want then turn to Simon Rattle,
also with the BPO, on EMI DVD Audio.
Wow! That performance is, I think, better,
and the recording just knocks this one
out of contention. As if that were not
enough, DG has reissued Abbado on two
SACDs instead of one, why? I have no
idea. I really cannot think of any reason
at all; perhaps DG would enlighten us.
Edward Seckerson liked this performance
in his original Gramophone review 12/93;
The Penguin Guide (Layton and Greenfield)
says: "the dramatic tensions of
a concert performance vividly captured.
… excellent sound … Abbado at his peak,"
so I think I would seek out the single
CD and not bother with this odd remastering.
For a first class performance I personally
would go to Barbirolli on EMI (CDM5669102)
or Inbal on whatever label is currently
holding his Denon original master tape.
Dave Billinge
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra/Claudio Abbado
