4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Much better than its reputation, September 23, 2006
This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (Audio CD)
This is a digital remake from 1984 of Solti's original Mahler Fourth with the Concertgebouw. As an interpreter of Mahler, Solti has a well-deserved reputation for being driven and unresponsive to Mahler's nuances, but that's not true here. The first movement, though a little too straightforward, allows the music to speak for itself, and with such ravishing playing form the cSO and Decca's transparent sonics, the result is very satisfying. The second movement falls seriously short of atmosphere--somebody took away the devil's fiddle and kicked him out of the room. The slow meovement proceeds at a nice forward pace and is beautifully played (better, really, than almost anyone else I've heard on CD).
Many listeners will be buying this CD for Kirit Te Kanawa's solo singing in the finale, and she doesn't disappoint. The soprano really tries to evoke childlike innocence, and of course her voice is enchanting in itself. Solti provides a fast tempo, but I like that--he avoids mannered cuteness. In all, I've heard more atmospheric and imaginative readings of the Fourth (Abbado, Bernstien, Welser-Most), but Solti's belongs in the top tier.
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5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautifully done!, March 12, 2000
By A Customer
This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (Audio CD)
I can't think of anything bad to say about this disc. The energy contained in this performance is simply uplifting. Solti is not especially known for his in depth interpretations, but this one has just about everything it needs; Masterful playing, a great singer, and a conductor with the passion and fervor needed to turn out a great performance.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Superb slow movement, January 7, 2008
This review is from: Mahler: Symphony No. 4 (Audio CD)
I remember this recording from my student days and is great to finally have it in my collection 15 years later. The 3rd movement is worth the price of the CD alone. Certainly it is Mahler slow movement writing at its best. Solti and Mahler set up the opening motif of the slow upper string melody over the pizzicato lower strings, then sit back and let it grow organically without personality getting in the way. Everything seems to progress naturally, like a water drop finding its way from the top of a mountain down to the ocean. We stay familiar with the water drop all the way down at it passes through some magnificent scenery.
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