Name: Mahler: Symphony No. 9 (Live) by Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle
Brand: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
SKU: 4035719002058
Price: 3.96 USD
Availability: OnlineOnly
Rating: 3 (28 reviews)

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Symphony No. 9 - Gustav Mahler
1

I. Andante comodo (Live)

27:10

Popularity 2/10

27:10

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2

II. Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers (Live)

15:25

Popularity 5/10

15:25

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3

III. Rondo-burleske (Live)

12:16

Popularity 1/10

12:16

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4

IV. Adagio (Live)

23:59

Popularity 5/10

23:59

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The early 2020s have seen Mahler recordings from great conductors of the German-speaking world, recorded with state-of-the-art equipment in glittering detail. Simon Rattle, however, has shown a preference for live recordings of Mahler, for whom he has as much enthusiasm as any of his German and Austrian peers. He recorded the work live in 2008 with the Berlin Philharmonic and also had a radio performance recorded before that. There is something to be said for this; the Symphony No. 9 in D major is a giant work that stands or falls as much on its overall contours as on its small details, and in this recording, made live with the Bavarian Radio Symphony in Munich in 2021, Rattle excels in this respect. The performance marked Rattle's recording debut with the orchestra and also served as a memorial for the recently deceased conductor Bernard Haitink. There is very little audience noise of any kind, and the long pause at the end in Haitink's memory is not retained, perhaps regrettably. The sound is not great, although the quiet conclusion comes off beautifully. There is nothing revolutionary about Rattle's reading, but it holds together solidly as a single set of gestures. Sample the first movement, where the rapid changes of mood do not faze the conductor or players at all; there is none of the sense of lurching that sometimes bedevils Mahler performances (or is intentionally cultivated). Rattle is quite a bit to the fast side, offering a reading that is about ten minutes faster than average, but he is on firm ground here; he is very close to the tempo taken by Bruno Walter, who premiered the work and knew what Mahler wanted. There is no feeling of rushing, only of a clean narrative arc in which the finale loses none of its transcendence. If readings by Thielemann et al. leave the feeling that the life has been sucked out of the music, try this fine live rendition, which appeared on classical best-seller charts in the fall of 2022. ~ James Manheim

1. Symphony No. 9: I. Andante comodo (Live)

by Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

Primary Artist: Sir Simon Rattle
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Main Performer
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Ensemble
Composer: Gustav Mahler; Composer
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle; Conductor

2. Symphony No. 9: II. Im Tempo eines gemächlichen Ländlers (Live)

by Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

Primary Artist: Sir Simon Rattle
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Main Performer
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Ensemble
Composer: Gustav Mahler; Composer
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle; Conductor

3. Symphony No. 9: III. Rondo-burleske (Live)

by Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

Primary Artist: Sir Simon Rattle
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Main Performer
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Ensemble
Composer: Gustav Mahler; Composer
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle; Conductor

4. Symphony No. 9: IV. Adagio (Live)

by Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle

Primary Artist: Sir Simon Rattle
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Main Performer
Orchestra: Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Ensemble
Composer: Gustav Mahler; Composer
Conductor: Sir Simon Rattle; Conductor