It’s really uncanny, but what we have here is essentially Michael Gielen’s interpretation with inferior playing and sound. Of course, Hermann Scherchen came first, so maybe the previous statement gets it backwards, but the fact remains that both conductors share similar strengths: an excitingly cogent, unsentimental approach to the first movement, superb realizations of the creepy first Nachtmusik and scherzo, sweet but not too schmaltzy fourth movements, and a finale that’s not afraid to make a big noise at a moderate basic tempo. Scherchen’s at his best in exploring the nooks and crannies of Mahler’s lavishly colored orchestration (especially in the second and third movements), and even if his winds, brass, and timpani are by no means first class, they play with enthusiasm and acceptable accuracy. In fact, this is the best (and most idiomatic) of Scherchen’s Mahler recordings, and the most important as well in terms of the history of the work on disc. It’s held up amazingly well over the years, and while it certainly can’t be recommended as a first version, it remains a remarkable Mahlerian achievement for a Viennese production in 1953. So many “historical” productions have nothing musically significant to recommend them beyond the mere fact of their age, but this excellently remastered performance belongs in the collection of anyone curious about the discography of this symphony.
