The novelty here for many listeners will be Ormandy’s Mahler First–a solid performance, wonderfully played (especially by the strings–listen to them rip into the opening of the finale), but one that, given the competition, yields no special insights. Even the presence of “Blumine” is no longer the attraction it once was: several finer performances include it either in its original context as the symphony’s second movement, or as a bonus. What really lets this performance down is the sound, notably less open than the Japanese RCA issue of a few years back, and very limited in dynamic range. It hardly sounds like a modern recording at all, and this is especially obvious when comparing it to the fine Songs of a Wayfarer, movingly sung by Frederica von Stade and solidly conducted. I really want to be more enthusiastic because there are many Ormandy treasures waiting to be released–but this isn’t one of them.
