This is the best recording so far of the original, “symphonic poem” version of Mahler’s First Symphony. It naturally includes “Blumine” as the second movement, and returns to the initial, comparatively modest scoring (which, typically, sounds thicker and busier than Mahler’s later revisions). The playing of the Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra of Pécs, Hungary, is really quite good, with lively winds and confident brass, and the sonics allow us to clearly hear the substantial differences in orchestration that constitute the principal reason to sample this version in the first place. Conductor Zsolt Hamar also interprets the piece characterfully, particularly in the Klezmer sections of the funeral march. The first movement flows freshly, the scherzo similarly displays a good measure of rustic vigor, and the finale has plenty of the necessary excitement. There hasn’t been a lot of choice for this edition: both Wynn Morris’ old version and the more recent Simax were pretty uninteresting, so if you’re looking for Mahler’s first thoughts, then this is the way to go.
