June 2008
Chailly clearly does not regard this music as Mahler based on material by Schumann, but rather as just what Mahler intended: music of Schumann rescored with affection and skill to adjust a few misjudgments and take advantage of some possibilities that were simply not available to him in his time. David Matthews, in his splendid annotation, explains concisely and without "technical language" exactly what Mahler did, why he did it, and what his revisions accomplish. The performances are so persuasive -- so filled with affection and vigor, without the slightest indulgence or lapse of taste -- that Id imagine even collectors who tend to avoid duplicating titles might want this set for alternating with recordings of these well-loved works played straight from Schumanns scores. The warm yet detailed sound quality is as much a plus as the burnished-gold playing of the Gewandhaus Orchestra, which has simply never sounded better. GO BACK TO: |