This 1977 recording of the Mahler First made for an auspicious beginning to Klaus Tennstedt’s generally fine complete symphony cycle. Now, as then, what immediately impresses about this performance is its gentle sense of joy, laced with an unrestrained exuberance in the more extroverted passages. Tennstedt summons fully sonorous playing from the London Philharmonic (especially in the finale’s passionate perorations) as he presents his very special view of Mahler’s early masterpiece. EMI’s recording is one of its late analog treasures, well balanced with a wide dynamic range.
In the immediately following Symphony No. 2, the analog warmth and body has been replaced by an edgy, shallow quality typical of EMI’s early digital recordings. This is unfortunate, for Tennstedt’s Resurrection is one of the finest readings of his complete cycle. He approaches the work in a manner very similar to Bernstein, employing basically slow tempos, but with great volatility in the music’s eruptions. Everywhere Tennstedt juxtaposes the majestic with the maddening, the sublime with the sardonic. The finale erupts with great power and moves forward with a grandeur that never becomes mere grandiosity. Also like Bernstein, the coda is drawn out to heavenly lengths, with the London Philharmonic choir’s impassioned enunciation clearly audible among the clamour. Only the restrained dynamics (which sound like control-room tinkering) prevent the closing pages from being truly overwhelming. Edith Mathis and Doris Soffel both sing beautifully, and with a real sense of occasion. A pair of classic performances, and as a two-fer, an irresistible bargain.
