Search - Gustav Mahler, Yoel Levi, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra :: Mahler: Symphony No. 7 / Song of the Night

Almost Perfect

George John | Houston, TX United States | 04/04/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Earlier today, I listened for the first time to the Telarc recording of the Mahler 7th with Yoel Levi conducting the Atlanta Symphony. While I had been interested in hearing this recording for some time now, I shied away from it because of comments I read on the Classics Today Website of David Hurwitz, "a dull 5 and 7", and Barry Guerrero's review (6/8). But, I finally decided to risk that these two reviewer's tastes differed from mine. They most decidedly do.

Put quite simply, this is a wonderful performance and recording. In his review Guerrero prefers the Tilson-Thomas, which I found forced, shrill, and overall very disappointing. All the elements of a great performance are present in the Levi. The Atlanta Symphony's performance is masterful. The Telarc sound quality is superb. But, what most stands out in my mind is Yoel Levi's absolutely first-rate interpretation of this very difficult work.

Sometimes less is more. I found far too often Tilson-Thomas over-emphasizing certain parts of the 7th. It was almost as if he was trying to make up for deficiencies in the score, like adding hot sauce to an otherwise bland meal. I found this greatly distracting, and far too often whatever momentum that had been built up was lost.

By contrast, Levi lets the music stand on it own merits. His choice of tempi are for the most part excellent. At times I initially questioned a bit what he was doing, but after hearing an entire passage, his choices made perfect sense, and added significantly to my overall satisfaction (which was very high indeed). Attention to clarity, detail, and balance are evident in abundance. I heard things in this performance which I have never heard before, and I have been an enthusiastic fan of this work from the first time I heard it in the early 70's.

I would like to comment on some of Guerrero's specific comments. I quote:

"The second Nachtmusik moves along at a nice, flowing pace, but where are the guitar and mandolin?"

My answer is who cares. This isn't a guitar or mandolin concerto. These two instruments are minor players in what is a truly amazing range of orchestral color. Thank goodness the recording engineers didn't place a spot mike on these instruments as I have heard in some other recordings.

I quote:

"and so when we get to the wildest spots in the finale, both the cow bells and deep bells are far too reticent."

Levi is meticulous in balancing the instruments so that all of Mahler's score can be heard. I couldn't stand how loud the Tilson-Thomas' cow and tubular bells were in his performance. Clearly, Guerrero's tastes differ from mine WRT how the 7th should be interpreted. This isn't a percussion concerto, and IMO should not be played like one.

I quote:

"Combine this with Levi's slightly lethargic tempo, and you get a finale that's hardly the "ray of sunshine in C major" that Mahler spoke of at the symphony's world premiere in Prague."

I used to consider this finale to be one of Mahler's weaker concepts, but no longer. Levi's "slightly lethargic tempo" allows the music to shine even more brightly, in contrast to those performances that seem to be some frenetic race to get it over with as quickly as possible. I was simply stunned at how beautifully this movement was played, and how great an emotional impact it had on me.

I quote:

"Levi's gentler, kinder Seventh may be just the thing for those who shy away from Mahler's more grandiose or grotesque gestures, "

First, I want to make it very clear that I have never shied away from anything that Mahler has ever written. I consider Mahler a great genius of the head, the heart, and the spirit.

"but a great Mahler performance embraces the full range of the composer's expressive sound world. Levi simply doesn't."

Here I couldn't disagree more. The exceptional recording quality, performance, and conductor's great attention to clarity and balance is similar to restoring a great painting, clouded by dust, smoke, and other abuse to its original beauty. This is a performance with incredible emotional impact and left me feeling fully satisfied, something no other performance of the Mahler 7th has ever done for me.

I enthusiastically recommend this performance to all admirers of Mahler's music and especially those who have never embraced the 7th as an equal among Mahler's many masterpieces."

Levi's best Mahler yet!

George John | 11/08/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This CD was outstanding. A great display of Levi's clearsighted approach to music, something especially needed in this symphony. It sounds truly romanitic, as it should. Atlanta plays with a great Mahler sound and emotively throughout. Highly recommended!"

A middle of the pack 7th

H. Granot | 12/19/1999

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Good playing, good sound, some nice moments (spiritual vision in first movement, much of the finale), some not-so-nice moments (a certain lack of excitement when reaching first movement's main theme and in the close of 5; scherzo is lifeless; Nachtmusik 2 comes across as too fast). If you just *have* to have a Mahler 7th in DSD sound, I suppose this would do but otherwise there are quite a few preferable performances, including both Bernsteins, Boulez, and Haenchen on LaserLight (a sleeper which can be had for budget prices)."