For the third installment in Adam Fischer's Mahler cycle on CAvi-music, he leads the Düsseldorf Symphony in a straightforward and polished presentation of the Symphony No. 1 in D major, assembled from several concert recordings in February 2017. This 2018 release offers a nearly flawless version of one of Mahler's most popular symphonies, and Fischer prudently avoids any anachronistic associations with the symphony's earlier form as a symphonic poem. The Blumine movement, rejected by Mahler but frequently reinstated in recordings of the 1990s and 2000s, has not been included here, and even the nickname "Titan," which Mahler only used for two early performances, has been dropped. Fischer instead performs the score as Mahler published it in 1899, and confidently puts forward a realization that owes nothing to unfounded speculation. Indeed, this performance is so technically assured, carefully paced, and eloquently expressed, it fits into the mainstream of classic interpretations since the 1950s, and thanks to the exceptional engineering and editing, this is one of the best sounding of modern live recordings. Highly recommended.
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