Search - Gustav Mahler, Harold Farberman, Helen Watts :: Mahler: Symphony No. 2- Resurrection

Too slow but has it moments

HB | Fort Mill, SC | 07/03/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Harold Faberman is a very good Mahler conductor. However, he likes his Mahler slow. That in itself is not really all that bad. Mahler's music should not be rushed like the coda of a Rossini overture. However, the music should have motion. In the first movement here, Faberman not only conducts this great symphony slow, he almost stops the music completely. Compare this movement with Mehta (VPO) and you might just be shocked. The 2nd movement is also very slow but it does not bother me as much here. From then on, the performance is quite good and the finale is extremely moving. As you might expect, the playing of the Royal Philharmonic is exceptional and the sound is superlative. If you are looking for an unusual interpretation of this symphony, I would suggest you try this CD. Otherwise, I would look elsewhere."