Generic Mahler. Interesting concept. Chandos waited a long time before releasing this Fourth outside of Segerstam’s uneven complete set. They need not have bothered. Usually you can count on this conductor to be at least provocative, but there’s nothing especially compelling, or even infuriating, happening here. The first movement passes by without ever attracting any particular notice at all, it’s climaxes slightly underplayed, the orchestra’s response coolly elegant but little more. The scherzo’s a bit sluggish, and so is the finale, which is decently but not exceptionally sung. The slow movement comes off best: it’s well paced and features some lovely work from the strings. The sonics, similarly, are clear but certainly not anything spectacular. In short, we have here the absolute definition of a completely unnecessary, unmemorable, run-of-the-mill performance. In today’s competitive market, it doesn’t stand a chance.
