Releasing Bernard Haitink’s 1971 Mahler Eighth on SACD allows for appreciation of the original multi-channel recording, which does indeed enhance the spaciousness and clarity of the sound while mildly increasing its dynamic impact. However, it does not improve the impression made by Haitink’s performance, which remains an overall lukewarm affair. To his credit, he does launch the opening Veni creator spiritus movement at a brisk pace, eliciting high-energy declamations from the chorus. But the soft-edged rhythms and smoothed-over accents fail to engage the emotions in the manner of more aggressive approaches by Bernstein, Tenndstedt, Solti, and more recently Nagano and Wit. Then there’s the recording’s conspicuous lack of bass (something endemic to Concertgebouw-based productions of that era), which reinforces the impression of gentleness.
In the second movement Haitink’s emphasis on color and texture makes for some truly beautiful sounds, but his generally relaxed, uninflected manner has the music sounding more like a singspiel than a symphony. However, it’s in the singing where the performance’s true strength lies, especially the female soloists, whose trio passages are exquisite. But that’s not enough to make this a recommendable Mahler Eighth, especially in light of the alternative versions listed above. For Haitink fans and audiophiles only.
