Mahler: Symphonie Nr. 6 (2015)

Daniel Harding is no newcomer to the music of Gustav Mahler, having recorded the Symphony No. 4 in G major with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Deryck Cooke's realization of the Symphony No. 10 in F sharp major with the Vienna Philharmonic. With that understood, one may question his choices in the Symphony No. 6 in A minor,"Tragic," as recorded live with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, because the interpretation as a whole seems rushed and a bit impatient, leaving an impression of superficial treatment and missed ... Read More

Daniel Harding is no newcomer to the music of Gustav Mahler, having recorded the Symphony No. 4 in G major with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra and Deryck Cooke's realization of the Symphony No. 10 in F sharp major with the Vienna Philharmonic. With that understood, one may question his choices in the Symphony No. 6 in A minor,"Tragic," as recorded live with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, because the interpretation as a whole seems rushed and a bit impatient, leaving an impression of superficial treatment and missed opportunities. One may take issue with the sequence of the inner movements; indeed, many contemporary conductors offer the Andante moderato and Scherzo ordering, as does Harding, following Mahler's performances, even though it's reversed in the first published score, which makes better sense as a tonal scheme. However, if that were the only problem, it could still be an acceptable reading, but Harding is in too much of a hurry, pushing the musicians too insistently, skimming over inner... Read Less