There are good Mahler conductors, and then there are good conductors who play Mahler. Esa-Pekka Salonen is one of the latter, and there’s nothing wrong with that. His prior Mahler recordings, including the Third and Fourth symphonies, have been generally excellent, and this live Ninth almost rises to their level. The problem with Salonen’s approach, based as it is on precision of rhythm and a keen attention to ensemble balance and texture, is that the minor imprecision typical of live performance tends to undermine the experience. This happens in two different ways: first, the climax of the final Adagio isn’t quite together, and thus is not as powerful as it should be. Second, the principal trumpet, who has a lot of solo work, is too timid at forte and above.
Otherwise, there are some very fine things here. The first movement is swift, relatively speaking, and very exciting. For some reason Salonen plays the tam-tam crash at the movement’s climax as a tremolo, an odd decision, but at least it’s audible. The inner movements go splendidly, particularly the Rondo: Burleske, which has both the necessary bite and remarkable rhythmic security, especially given the recording’s live provenance. The audience also is remarkably well-behaved, and the engineering is quite good for this venue (Royal Festival Hall). Salonen no doubt has a great Mahler Ninth in him, and if this isn’t the one, it does come close. You will have to decide for yourself if “close” is good enough when there are so many other versions out there that deliver the total package.
