Only two reasons seem logical for a record company to make a second recording of an artist in a particular work: the artist’s interpretation/insight changed meaningfully; or the recording technology had advanced significantly. Neither of those conditions applies to this new Abbado Mahler Seventh. Symphony No. 7 remains one of Abbado’s better Mahler conceptions. As with his 1984 Chicago Symphony recording, he achieves an overall satisfying rendition both through his straightforward conducting and his careful attention to the work’s color and dynamic shadings (the sleek and slithery scherzo continues to delight). The Berlin Philharmonic seems to relish the challenge of this symphony, turning in an alert and mostly characterful performance; but when it comes to playing Mahler, the Berlin Philharmonic cannot hope to match the Chicago Symphony.
In 1984 Abbado had at his disposal an orchestra not only eager to exploit the more fanciful aspects of Mahler’s scoring, but that also possessed the rhythmic flexibility and virtuoso muscle to pull it off brilliantly. The finale’s opening flourish provides the strongest example, where the Chicago brass project a stirring swagger unheard from their Berlin counterparts. The same goes for the first appearance of the march music in the first movement. As for Abbado’s interpretation, it’s not much different than before, save for a lighter and more fluid Nachtmusik II. If you already own the earlier version (and I hope the release of this new disc doesn’t mean that the Chicago recording is no longer available) then you really don’t need this one. Particularly when the live Philharmonie recording, with its squashed dynamic range and flat perspective, suffers in comparison to the fuller, more vibrant Orchestra Hall production.
