The good news is that the sonics in both regular stereo and SACD multichannel playback are excellent. The bad news is that this performance, while adequate as a representation of the notes on the page, is far less than world-class and has nothing noteworthy to recommend it whatsoever. Norichika Iimori’s interpretation sounds cautious (the scherzo runs more than 18 minutes), comparatively uninflected in the opening funeral march, and literal to a fault. The playing of the Württembergische Philharmonie Reutlingen, although acceptable technically, lacks character (winds), body of tone (strings), and boldness (brass). Take for example the final devastating collapse at the end of the second movement: there isn’t one. You hardly notice that anything has happened, a point that could be made again and again as the performance proceeds. I take pride in my willingness to acclaim an underdog (think of that sensational Mahler Fifth on ABC Classics featuring the Melbourne Symphony under Markus Stenz), but this particular dog is just that.
