Yawn. Stretch. Repeat. That’s about all I have to say about this utterly irrelevant release. This is a nicely played, emotionally neutral Mahler Ninth. Everything about it screams “average.” All of the first movement climaxes are just that much under-characterized. Those creepy, atmospheric interludes are neither especially creepy nor particularly atmospheric. The first scherzo isn’t clumsy enough, and the recurring waltzes lack desperation. The Rondo:Burleske has no fire in its belly. Where is the bite–the shrillness? The finale flows along at an average tempo (23 minutes), and expires peacefully. You’d never know that anything meaningful happened at all. And didn’t this orchestra just release a Haitink Mahler Ninth a little while ago? The sonics are good, but bass-heavy. There’s insanity here, but it’s in the label’s decision-making when it should be in the music.
